Heirs to the World
by Cetacea
Summary: All this Prophecy ekk-ekk doesn't fit in the summary, so can't really explain. Basically, adventure abounds! (God, I hate myself)
1. A Brief History

Hello! OK, I'm here with the story that was erased! It's a good thing that I wrote the basis down, otherwise this story would've died right then and there! By the way, I DO know how to spell kingdom. See? K-I-N-G-D-O-M. It's just that they use Kingdome instead of kingdom. This is just the prologue. Instead of writing the chapters ahead, I'll do what other authors seem to do: write a chapter, post it up, write a chapter, post it up write a chapter, post it up. So I wrote a chapter—and I posted it up!  
  
~Heirs To The World~  
  
Prologue  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Taking the book down from the shelf, he skimmed through the weathered pages, searching. At last, he stopped at the chapter he required. He smiled and readied his other research works. Taking a delicate feather quill, he dipped it into ink. Quill scratching along on the parchment, he wrote…  
  
Kingdomes of the Digimon Era  
  
Not much is known of the Eras before Digimon arose but the main fact that humans lived alone and without the constant companion of what is known as a soul-friend. In other words, Digimon are born with us; we are them and they are we. It is relentlessly theorized that there are two worlds in the one we live in currently; one Digimon, the other human. As in a parallel universe there are two of one, the Digiworld is the parallel universe of the creature humans.  
  
The Digimon Era is one of peace. The first century was spent learning to live with the varied assortment of creatures that one day appeared on what is known as the Year of Rebirth. On this special Year, humans opened their eyes for the first time and saw themselves for what they truly were; savage barbarians. Once this realization settled in among the tribe that would eventually become the basis for the Kingdome of Knowledge, a strange light came from the sky, allowing the natives to catch a glimpse of a different world, one of tall and reflective buildings and strange machines for transportation. We have not achieved this level of technology as of yet, though the sources of the said vision are doubtable.  
  
Once the Digimon appeared to their soul mates, they enlightened the hooligans our ancestors enough to be curious about the world. Thus the Kingdome of Knowledge was born, although the Temple of Tentorelle would be erected in the Kabuteric lands decades later. The Children of Knowledge were continuously inquisitive about the world and its origins, endlessly classifying and searching for new species. They wield with great accuracy the Arbalests of Knowledge and a strange discovery called Electricity.  
  
Years later, a branch of citizens left the Kingdome of Knowledge; they were too headstrong for the quiet life of study. Fleeing away from the Great Temple, they took refuge in the Agunatra desert south of the Kabuteric lands. Their odd Digimon surprisingly aided their survival and adaption there easily. Soon, a truce was made; the oddities of the Kingdome of Knowledge were to understand and train the physical part of the body, becoming the Kingdome of Courage, brandishers of the Swords of Fire. It was named so because, according to the Calendar of Knowledge, their defecting occurred on the Year of Courage, and it was decreed that all other Kingdomes in the Future would be deemed accordingly. They trained effortlessly, becoming Warriors of Courage, fearsome yet merry desert men and women.  
  
A group of people from Tentorelle grew tired of the resources decades later. They left the Temple in search of new things to study but promised to come back if anything astounding crossed their path. A year later, they returned to Kabuterisk from the North with news of a new Kingdome, established in the Year of Friendship. This new Kingdome was found in the icy tundra of Gabuniere, the Ice Palace of Garurunil where the King of Ice rules as the leader of those of Friendship. As adapted to a life of bitter cold and snowstorms as the Kingdome of Courage is to the searing heat of the desert, the citizens of Garurunil are also as skilled in handling the Staffs of Ice as those of Courage are in battling with their Swords of Fire  
  
The Kingdome of Knowledge, upon hearing of this, decided to send out their scholars in search of new discoveries, so as not to miss a thing. Now, citizens of Knowledge roamed the world and came back often with various finds.  
  
East of Agunatra, emissaries were sent to the desert from the Jungle of Togesanra. It appeared that there was another Kingdome situated there, founded on the Year of Sincerity. An alliance with these people and the Kingdomes proved very valuable, as this Kingdome specialized in medical treatments pharmacy and were experts at the Whips of Poison. The vast jungle is filled with many medical wonders. Deep within this tropical jungle is the heart of Sincerity, is the Temple Palace of Palmera.  
  
Surprisingly, as the emissaries made their way back to Palmera, they stumbled upon a peaceful farming community just east of the rocky mountains of Kabuterin. Exploring as inquisitively as those of Knowledge did, they found that it was another hidden Kingdome, exactly built and established on the Year of Hope, when famine struck the lands of Tentorelle. These friendly people were very hospitable yet high in their expertise of dagger weapons. Their governing rulers dwelled in the Castle of Pataru. The envoys of the Kingdome of Knowledge also ventured here to make peace and learn more of this surprising kingdom.  
  
Another millennium passed before the discovery of a new Kingdome; but first, it started out as the sighting of a group of desert people further south of a forest. Curious to see what was within, they ventured far in and, upon climbing a mountain, saw an enormous tree protruding from the earth. Scientists from Tentorelle were informed and after journeying through the land, they discovered that it was more than fifty miles wide in diameter and that a more ancient Kingdome had been established within the tree. They had a different calendar system, to them, it was the Revolution of the Comet Soul, but they agreed to follow the Kingdome of Knowledge since their system was rather inaccurate. Thus was the Kingdome of Kindness.  
  
Although deadly in their uses of the Javelin of Flight, the scientists of Knowledge were greeted by the dwellers of the Tree (Wormtii) with warmth and amazement. After all, the Kingdome was teeming with all sorts of life, most dominantly insects though. In their frenzy to learn, the people of Kindness also showed them several equally enchanting Kingdomes.  
  
They were shown the forest, which was named Biyoarin and its inhabitants. They formed another Kingdome, more antediluvian than Knowledge could hope to be, although their way of living is seemingly primitive. They live in houses in the trees and the forest is home to the people and even their King, as they know every single detail about it. They are lethal in the art of Archery and are well-known as Archers of Love, fiercely protective of their land but once warm to someone can be the most loyal and caring of all. This is the Kingdome of Love, in other calendars, the Kingdome formed in the Turning of the Heart Towards the Sun. Perhaps it was formed when the first human opened his eyes to what he was.  
  
Next, they were shown the Kingdome of Reliability (Year of Awareness of Need by the Shining Star) deep within the seas of Zudo, just to the West of Biyoara a city of amazing technology, for it was an underwater fantasy below the waves, deep in the floor of the ocean. There were the people who were proficient fishermen and wielders of the Harpoons of Water. Reports sent to Tentorelle about this kingdom of dreams were all about its spectacular beauty and its wonderful fish delicacies.  
  
A month later, they headed back to Biyoara and north of that to the Desert of Agunatra. Puzzled, the scientists told the citizens of Kindness that they already knew the Kingdome of Courage. But when they encountered a strong tribe of Courage, the kind guide was startled and sent a hawk to inform the Kingdome of Kindness about this. Piqued, the tribe of Courage, Greyé, accompanied them deep into the desert which Courage thought that he had conquered.  
  
They found another Kingdome, more primordial than Love and Knowledge put together; the Kingdome formed when the Sun Cast its Eyes upon the Nova Spirit, or the Year of Light. In the hot sands of the desert, there were strange triangular-shaped structures and startlingly beautiful oases. They met the people, cat-worshippers, in the Palace of Gatoris, deep in the golden city of Angewotep, precise throwers of Blades of Light. Incredibly stealthy, they have been well-trained in the art of espionage. Their history was more inclusive than that of Knowledge, though there are still some sizeable gaps left in our knowledge of the world and how it began, along with the mystery of Digimon.  
  
To conclude this report, we shall give reverence to the houses that have ruled these nine Kingdomes:  
  
From the Kingdome of Knowledge, ruling the Council as the Head of the Council is currently the Izumi heir.  
  
From the Kingdome of Courage, the Tribe Callers are of Kamiya, leader of the Warriors.  
  
From the Kingdome of Friendship, the present Generation of Ice Ruler is of the Ishida family.  
  
From the Kingdome of Sincerity, the Empress as of now is of Tachikawa.  
  
From the Kingdome of Hope, governing the lands are those of the Takaishi line.  
  
From the Kingdome of Kindness, governing the great tree Wormtii is the House of Ichijouji.  
  
From the Kingdome of Love, the King living among his people equally descended from the ancient House of Takenouchi.  
  
From the Kingdome of Reliability, Emperor of the City of Dreams is from Kido.  
  
From the Kingdome of Light, the Kamiya line rules, descended from a pact made between the warrior clan of Greyé and the Spies of Light to ensure peace.  
  
Presenting this report to the Unit of Brief Histories for Approval is the Head of the Council:  
  
Koushiro Izumi  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
That's it for now. You'll have to be content. And how come Digimon exist when it is only the dawning of electricity? Well, ask the scholars of Light. They'll tell you. Be prepared with a soft comfy pillow and if you're lucky, a bed, because it'll take them days to get past the introduction. Now be good and review! ^_ 


	2. The Call of Danger

I am back! Sorry that it took so long, but I needed to nail down the last few hanging drapes of this story…remind me not to be figurative in speech. Here it is! At first, all you'll see here is the preparation. Read and enjoy. (But don't forget to review!)  
  
****  
  
The blood slowly dripped down to the gushing floor. Collapsing in a heap deep within the flooding ground, the man let out his last breath as the shadowy figure let out an evil ear-shattering laugh. The youth's companions had fled a long time ago. The fool stayed there, supposedly giving them a chance to escape. There was a bit of protest here, and the evil cared little for the reason, though he knew it not. But it deduced that perhaps its victim had been of some substance to have such staunch companions.  
  
The youthful man and his strange animal had certainly given it a bit of trouble. But that was all well, for the more resistance it encountered in a victim, the more spirit they possessed within their filthy living bodies.  
  
And the figure of darkness fed on such lively spirits.  
  
The fish swam by, ignoring the murky character as he seemed to glimmer with darkness. They had no interest in these affairs. Perhaps they would tell certain Digimon, those who were one with the water, but it was doubtable that they would remember it after feeding. They swiftly avoided the gaping hole the cloaked figure had created to enter.  
  
The ghostly silhouette stared at the fish. 'All life must be vanquished…' A shadowy appendage shot out to drain the life out of the innocent and simple creatures when knives of pain shot through the arm. Crumpling to the floor, it deemed itself too weak to be able to do any more.  
  
'But my time will come soon…Life shall crumble beneath my rule…'  
  
Shouts rang out through the glassy hallway. The dead one's attendants had managed to send out the alarm of danger. More lifelings would be coming along soon.  
  
'But I will be back to destroy. And none will live to stand in my way. My reign of dread begins….'  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
An announcement rang throughout the glassy corridors. There had been an incident in the Outer Levels of the outskirts of the Kingdome of Reliability. Someone was brutally murdered then actually partly-eaten. It was a young man. Nothing more. But it was important to Jyou, the Prince of Gomatelen.  
  
And the new heir to the throne of the Emperor of the Kingdome of Reliability.  
  
Yes, the man whose life was mysteriously ended was his older brother.  
  
(A/N: I didn't want to do it! I don't write about deaths! No, no, no, no!! No one but the bad guy's supposed to die. But how the heck am I supposed to kick Joe into the Emperor's seat?)  
  
Jyou and his water-going Digimon, Gomamon, stared blankly at the sea world beyond the glass coverings. Both of them were seated in the Imperial Hall as condolences were being delivered by the score. Jyou still couldn't believe that this happened.  
  
'He is dead.'  
  
The thought echoed in his and Gomamon's minds and they glanced at each other, each a mirror of sadness. Gomamon had also been close to his brother's Digimon. They both felt the loss very keenly, perhaps more keenly than his silently weeping mother or his devastated father. The brothers were as dear to each other as the sea was to the Kingdome of Reliability.  
  
In other words, the sea was their lives and they dedicated themselves to it.  
  
Jyou's life wasn't over, but a part of him had died and was also eaten by some demon-like creature.  
  
It brought matters to another area, though. What could have possibly been strong enough to fall someone like his brother, who was the best warrior in the realm along with his Digimon? It certainly was something powerful enough to cause a break in the diastone-hard glass walls which protected Gomatelen from the great pressure of the vast ocean of Zudo. There were specialists and architects at the outskirt sectors accompanied by several well-trained warriors attempting to seal the vast rooms. The area where the Emperor's first heir died and several adjacent other supply sector crystals had been annihilated by the sea pressure and they had managed to rescue his body through the scouts of the areas.  
  
It was distressing that the sector crystals were destroyed but the death count was a devastating number of fifty-eight. There had never been many murders or calamities in Gomatelen; ten was an unbearable number. (A/N: Might seem small to you fellows, eh?)  
  
The hours flew past and soon the trusted guards of the realm shut the massive doors which lead to the hall. There were no more sympathizers and all who were left in the court room were his father's most trusted advisors.  
  
He and Gomamon exchanged a glance then turned to look at his parents.  
  
His mother's tears had subsided but one look at her revealed the depth of her pain. After all, she and her oldest son were close, too, although Jyou was more like his mother (a scholar, not a warrior). Her face became more regal and imperious than he had ever seen it. His father's morose face was business like as he straightened himself up more on his throne.  
  
A realization came to him and he spoke up. "Father. Mother. There's a lot more to his death, isn't there? What's happening? What was he doing there in the first place?" Jyou was bursting with questions.  
  
His father held up a hand. "That is what we are here to discuss." He glanced at who he asked to remain in the room and they stepped up onto the dais, bowing slightly.  
  
"State the destruction, General Acua Aes," he said to one of Jyou's friends.  
  
The navy-haired girl stepped forward and bowed again. "Emperor Kido, the impact of the sea caused by the breach hole damaged several sector crystals and one major dwelling crystal was partly damaged, but the workers have managed to patch the hole and set off the pressure locks, so only half of the crystal was shattered. The harm to the belongings and other things is off the rack and death toll is…the death toll is fifty-eight people, most killed by the collapsing of the crystals, some by drowning and others of different methods."  
  
The Emperor's face was grave as he took this in and nodded slowly. "Thank you, General Acua Aes."  
  
Acua bowed once more and stepped back.  
  
"Now," the Emperor cleared his throat. "We all know here that…that my son was to be next in line for the throne. As he…" he swallowed and Jyou's mother smiled sadly and put her hand on his. His father smiled at her and continued, "As he is gone, so Jyou will be the Emperor when I am gone. My son," he turned to Jyou and Jyou regarded him with a slight nod. "The responsibility is now yours. You must understand the task you will undertake as the next ruler of Reliability."  
  
Jyou nodded again. "Yes, father."  
  
"Jyou, my son. It is serious to take your duties as the future Emperor seriously. Your brother was prepared, but it took him long years to get ready, yet you have such little time to understand and learn."  
  
Gomamon shot up from his seat. "What are you talking about Emperor? Is something going to happen?"  
  
The Emperor sighed grimly concurred, "Yes, Gomamon. Jyou will need to grow up very fast. You see, the Kingdome of Reliability has always been at the edge of the seashore for important reasons. We are the first line of defense our continent has from a possible assault from across the sea. There is a land across Zudo but the sea is too vast for our limited technology to cross. Nothing is known about the lands beyond our reach other than the fact that there is a war brewing there. We have feared for a long time for anything like this to happen, and now it has."  
  
"What do you mean, Father?" Jyou asked urgently.  
  
His eyes were dark as he responded, "My son. There is an ancient prophecy concerning visitors from across the sea. They will bring danger with them and devastation will spread throughout the land at their behest. Therefore, we must prepare the Kingdomes of our lands and our Heirs to go into battle."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The sandstorm had abated. The sun shone hot and bright upon the spotless yellow dunes. The desert air was warm and a gentle breeze was all that remained of the furious cyclones sweeping across the desert, slightly blowing back the tops of the trees in the Oasis of Greymi and adding sand to two curious lumps just outside the oasis. A horn sounded far in the distance.  
  
The large-haired youth rose up from the sand, shaking it out of his burnoose. (A/N: The ten points are back and running! The large-haired part ought to give you a clue.) Unlike the custom of his people, he wore no head turban. After all, the longest agal cord could not tame his brown hair. As soon as his long woolen cloak was free of sand grain, he turned to the small mountain of sand next to him. "Agumon, you can come out now. The storm's over."  
  
A little quivering of the sand and a fiery orange lizard's face popped out of the tiny mountain. "Is that the Tribal Horn I hear, Taichi?"  
  
Taichi Kamiya nodded. "We'll need to get home now. I wonder why they're using it. SandSeadramon!" he called out. "It's time to go!"  
  
Silence. Shaking himself out, Agumon came to stand next to Taichi. "Did he hear you?" The only answer he got was a shrug from his human counterpart. "SandSeadramon!" he shouted into the desert.  
  
A second later, something exploded out of the sand.  
  
Roaring stridently, a humongous figure rose up, columns of sand shooting out behind it, adding a good background to the splendor. It was a long serpent-like creature, looking very much like a Seadramon only its scales were shades of orange and yellow and its 'ears' were a lot larger for its personal air-conditioning system. Also, the scales on its back were raised like spikes.  
  
"Enough dramatics!" the Agumon yelled up to the magnificent creature. "We've got to get back to the tribe!"  
  
The serpentine Digimon paused and looked down at the little orange lizard. "Who gives you the right to boss me around, little lizard?" its booming voice soaring high.  
  
Agumon rolled his eyes. "We're the Tribe Caller's son, don't you forget."  
  
"Kind of hard to, since I'm the Royal Guard of the Tribal Caller." SandSeadramon snorted. "It was a rhetorical question, Agumon."  
  
Taichi cut in. "As much as I'd love to listen to you two arguing, we need to return. There is something about. Otherwise, they wouldn't use the Tribal Horn."  
  
Irritably, the Royal Guard nodded and lowered his coils, allowing Taichi and Agumon to clamber up and grab a hold on his fin spikes. "Now come on. I wouldn't want your grubby hands to smudge my scales. I had them cleaned yesterday."  
  
As they plunged along the sand at breakneck speed, the wind carried one last remark back to the lonely Oasis. "You know, for a Royal Digimon, you sure don't act like one."  
  
"Ever since water is wet."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The red-haired boy walked along the long corridor, his attention completely riveted upon the ancient walls. His eyes scanned the wall's intricate carvings and pictures. He wished that he knew how to read the alien symbols on the walls. What if they could tell him the real story of how humans WERE? Or how Digimon came to be? Or—  
  
"Excuse me, Grand Head of the Council." A voice reverently cut into his thoughts. (A/N: Ten points gone to waste if you haven't gotten this right.)  
  
His head snapped up from his examination of the walls. Koushiro Izumi shook his head dazedly and turned to the boy who called his attention. He was years younger than him and his name was Iori, a trainee of the History Unit.  
  
"Yes, Iori? Please, I'm not like the other scholars. Address me as Koushiro."  
  
"OK. I—I am sorry to interrupt you."  
  
Laughing, Koushiro said, "Be glad that you interrupted me instead of those stuffy scholars." Iori looked scandalized at this.  
  
Koushiro rolled his eyes. "You know how high-and-mighty they can be."  
  
Iori nodded seriously. "Well, you are needed in the Council room." His Armadillomon agreed, nodding his head. "And I suggest you hurry. They are looking a tad bit ruffled at your absence at such a crucial time."  
  
Koushiro shrugged. "The meeting can't start without me." His eyes kept wandering to the walls behind the young black-haired boy. There was a pictogram of twelve people carved on the wall. Two of them looked suspiciously familiar…  
  
A sudden buzzing noise startled Koushiro's inspection of the picture. His Digimon complement Tentomon flew through the halls and to where he stood with Iori and his Digimon. "Koushiro! Koushiro! They need you to start the meeting!"  
  
Koushiro sighed. "Yeah. I'm coming. This'd better be good, though. I'm not in the mood for anything short of prodigious."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Her legs pumped quickly as she raced through the trees. Her breath came out in small sharp exhalations as she sped along. Although the trees looked all the same to someone who didn't belong to the forest Kingdome of Love, each tree and rock was a familiar landmark to her. But this helped her very little. Her pursuer knew most of what she knew about the forest, too. Stealthily, she ducked behind a tree and waited. (A/N: I'll ask you to guess who this 'she' is. I'll give you ten lovely points!)  
  
In order to defeat her hunter, she had to fight back.  
  
Slipping her dagger out from her boot, she tensed, hearing footsteps. As they ran past the old tree she used to play in, she leapt out in time to careen into her chaser. In a mass of yells and shouts as they attempted to best each other, they suddenly tumbled down the hill. The force of the fall forced them apart.  
  
Quickly, she rolled to her feet, short red hair flying and shoved her dagger down, pausing at his throat.  
  
"Do you yield?" her soft voice sounding deadlier than a black widow's poison.  
  
He smirked devilishly at up her. "What else do you think?" This gave her a split second's warning before his foot sprang out and knocked hers out from beneath her. Simultaneously, they sprang up to their feet. Circling each other, they warily eyed their opponent. She realized that the fall down the hill had knocked her dagger several feet back.  
  
He grinned. "Guess you're weaponless now. Yield?"  
  
"You think that I can't fight weaponless? Damn chauvinist. You're in for it, buddy."  
  
"Sure," he drawled. "A fighting style of a woman."  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "What else do you think?" throwing his words back at him right before she launched a flying tackle. With a grunt, he fell down, taking her with him. But he managed to throw her off and into a tree. She rolled back and once again, they got up using rolling techniques.  
  
He ran in for a punch but she spun and evaded his attack. Ending her spin was an impossibly high kick to the back his head (and he was a good deal taller than her, too.). He was propelled forward, nearly face first into a rock which would have marred his perfect features if he hadn't the mind to do a handstand and force himself at her using the tree behind it as a springboard.  
  
As he tackled her down, he held her wrists to the sides of her head. "Yield, woman. Your defeat will be well for me, so no spoiled attitudes now."  
  
Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Certainly, my Lord."  
  
Now, his first mistake which would eventually cause his defeat was to believe that the shimmering in her eyes was defeat or tears, not sheer defiance and pride.  
  
His second was to relax his hold on her wrists.  
  
Her crimson eyes flashed again and her left hand grabbed his fist that had been pinning down her right and punched with all her might into his face. Letting out a cry and staggering back, he rose up a little, flinching. She took the opportunity and drove her head forward and forcefully colliding with his, dazing the both of them.  
  
But he was on the receiving end.  
  
She recovered quickly and rammed him to the ground face first. Grabbing his gold dagger from its sheath and positioning it at the back of his neck, she slammed him into the ground again and hissed, "Yield now."  
  
"Watch the face!" he yelped. "Sora!"  
  
She pressed the point of the knife to the nape of his neck. "Yes, Terry," she said sweetly. "But I must hear you yield first. Otherwise, who's to say you'll forsake your noble birth of noble births and pull a similar trick like that on me? How dishonorable."  
  
"Yield, then," he grunted.  
  
"A Royal Command!" She continued to depress the expensive-looking knife a little more until a little trickling of blood welled up. "See, I can hold the knife here for as long as I want. I'm a patient sufferer, but I'm not sure that you are, so you'd better say it nicely."  
  
A little growl sounded came out from him and with a forcedly pleasant tone, he muttered, "I yield."  
  
A smile grew on Sora Kagami's face and she stood up. Terran Takenouchi rolled over and accepted his old friend's delicate hand. She pulled him up easily. A little of his surprise had registered on his face and she smirked, nearly mirroring the look he had given her earlier.  
  
(A/N: Curious about the names? NOT TELLING!!! [Yet])  
  
"Surprised that little Sora has grown strong without changing her slim figure?"  
  
Her phrase seemed to have mirrored his thoughts exactly. He frowned. "Why is it that you can always read my mind and I yours?"  
  
She shrugged. "No idea, really. Some people even say that we look alike," gesturing to their scarlet hair. "But my eyes are different from your green ones. I guess it's true that you start to look like your best friend if you hang around him for forever. Some people mistake me for you. One time, Mister-High-and-Mighty Chamberlain almost made me wear your clothes! It's a good thing that the serving maid was there to spot me. You should have seen the look on his face!"  
  
They laughed at the mental picture of the Royal Chamberlain's face as they started to walk through the trees. Chatting, they didn't notice thee two Digimon ram right into them. Apparently, the Digimon were engrossed in some story themselves.  
  
"Biyomon!" Sora grinned. "And Elamon! What brings you two here?"  
  
"Why do you two look tired?" Biyomon asked curiously, cocking her pink head.  
  
"I know why!" Elamon's voice soared out cheerfully. His cheerful brown head feathers rustling with resignation. "The Prince and Sora had been at it again!" he gave the two a look.  
  
Sora grinned at the Royal counterpart of the Prince of the Kingdome of Love. "Well, you know that we've got to keep in shape."  
  
Arching his caramel-colored eyebrow, Elamon replied in his haughty voice, "I'm sure that hunting each other down and inflicting physical injury counts as such. However enjoyment you may have running through the forests covered with brambles and sweat—"  
  
Laughing, the small bird Biyomon slapped the brown primate on the back. "You're such a prissy-mon! Just give Terry the announcement and be done with it!"  
  
Rolling his lovely golden eyes, Elamon announced lavishly with a sweep of his cloaked arm, "Heir Prince to the Kingdome of Love, get your Royal rear to the Imperial Clearing this instant!"  
  
Chuckling, Prince Terran asked if Sora could come. Elamon nodded. "In fact, she is requested to."  
  
Startled, Sora tripped over a rock. Terry caught her and scolded, "What happened to the evil huntress who caused me to yield? Was I actually defeated by some klutzy wench?"  
  
Emitting a growl, Sora lunged out of his grip and tackled him. "Say that again," she challenged, holding the front of his tunic in her fist. "I dare you to."  
  
"Which sentence?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, she got up off him and said to Biyomon, "Where to? I've never been to the Imperial Clearing before."  
  
"Follow me, then," Elamon called. He swung up a tree branch and peered back down at them. "Better hurry, eh? I hear that the King and his Digimon friend aren't ones to anger. Banana cream pies could go flying."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The clouds in the sky blocked out the sun, like they did for most of the year. They cast shadows down to the snow that often looked like mysterious dancing raindrops. The patterns they threw upon the beautiful ice palace of Garurunil caused the castle to shine inside with magnificent rays of color. (A/N: After all, light shining through raindrops gives rainbows, right? Hey! I'm adding a bit of science here!)  
  
A youth was perched on the roof of a small turret, staring at the sky. He had the characteristic paleness of skin of his people in the Kingdome of Friendship, slightly difficult to spot in the white snow. His eyes, though, were uncharacteristically pale blue, as his people were all dark-eyed and his hair was an intense gold. (A/N: Ten points! This is a sure giveaway!)  
  
He unknowingly painted the perfect picture: a handsome youth deep in thought perched high above the ground upon an ice roof with hair as bright as the sun contrasted by the dark gloomy sky. (A/N: That's a long run-on sentence.)  
  
Yamato Ishida stirred from his reverie. He knew something was afoot. The artic lands of the Kingdome of Friendship were very close to the western sea. Beyond the sea, nobody knew what was there. Not even the sages of Knowledge or the sea-faring people of Reliability had managed to develop an engine or a ship that could cross that vast ocean.  
  
But lately, if one looked across the sea with a telescope, the skies there were changing. The skies across the sea were black when they were once simply blue throughout the year.  
  
Curious.  
  
He gave the sky one last stare and lithely sprung down from the steep roof to the balcony. Absorbing the shock in his legs, he recovered fast (as he had done this so often) and walked into his room. It was very tense in the Palace. There was supposed to be some messenger from the Kingdome of Reliability but he hadn't appeared yet.  
  
His father, the King of Friendship, had sent out scouts to search the ice land they knew well for the messenger. It must have been an important message, he deemed, for they sent the King of Reliability's own Digimon to the icy realm as a caveat to tell them that a messenger was coming.  
  
"Prince Yamato!" someone came skidding into the room. Her frame was willowy and slender, her hair dark and thick. She was the daughter of the Sorceress Yuki, a family friend.  
  
"Yes Nieve?" (A/N: Pronounced NEEV not NIYEBE)  
  
"Are you done thinking? I've got to show you something!" Her eyes were dancing with excitement.  
  
Rolling his eyes at her animation, he pulled on his shoes and told her that he was done. "So what is it that you're so eager to show me?"  
  
"Istas and I found an aurora!"  
  
Yamato's head shot up. "An aurora? You're kidding me, right?"  
  
Shaking her head excitedly, Nieve jumped onto his large and bounced up and down happily. "Why would we kid you on such a matter like that? Istas is so happy!"  
  
Istas was another one of his friends. She was his cousin, daughter of the Ice Duke Tushar. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were shiny brown as she glided into the room right after Nieve. "Really, Yamato, you've got to believe us! It's in the east side of the castle near the lake so you can't see it from your roof!"  
  
Yamato turned from his friends and looked back out his window. If they were saying things right, and if there really was an aurora borealis, that would mean…  
  
He shrugged as he turned back to them. "Show me the way. If you guys are lying to me, that's nothing off my back, then."  
  
Nieve took on a valiant pose standing on the bed and cried, "We promise that we aren't going to gyp you!"  
  
So off they went, bundling up a little. Although they were used to the cold, it was the colder season of the year.  
  
Before they left, they called for their Digimon. Yamato called for his Digimon, Gabumon. Gabumon was a strange little Digimon who looked like he had a wolf blanket on his shoulders. Gabumon was a very useful Digimon for going out into icy lands. Istas already had her Nevamon with her, a little seal-like creature. Nieve sent for Karlimon, a little mouse-like Digimon who looked perpetually covered with snow. (A/N: It's a Turkish name that means covered with snow, so I decided to overturn a pail of snow over this Digimon before giving it life!!)  
  
"Yamato!" Gabumon ran over to his protégé. "What do you need?"  
  
"Gabumon." Yamato nodded to his friend. "We're going out to the ice and I thought that you'd like to join us."  
  
"Well, I guess I could tear myself away from our Princely duties." Gabumon grinned. "Let's go!"  
  
They all set out into the snowy grounds beyond the palace gates and headed east. The frosty tundra sped by as they rode on their Digivolved Digimon. Yamato set out upon his Garurumon, following the flying Eiramon who was carrying a laughing Istas. Nieve was riding on the back of swiftly hopping Chilalimon.  
  
Soon enough, Eiramon came to a halt on a cliff overlooking an ice lake. "It's up there!" Istas called, pointing to the sky.  
  
Looking up, Yamato saw the dazzling array of lights playing high in the sky. "Amazing," he breathed, and slid of Garurumon. "Garurumon. It's the one we're looking for. Do you know what this means?" he asked without taking his eyes off the aurora.  
  
Sitting back on his enormous haunches, the Digimon nodded. Eiramon came spiraling down to them, landing right next to Garurumon and folding her wing flaps. Chilalimon came to a halt right next to them. "What does it mean?" her mellow voice wondered.  
  
Garurumon replied in his rough voice, "Whenever an Aurora appears in the artic tundra at the coldest times of the year, something will happen."  
  
Yamato nodded. "It is supposedly said that the Aurora is a message from the angels of whoever first placed life upon this planet. But this message is difficult for someone to read. The color of each ray has something to do with prophecy." His eyes wandered over the Aurora.  
  
"So…" Istas' eyes were thoughtful. "Who could read it? It may be important…"  
  
"Yeah," Nieve agreed. She demanded, "So how do you know about this, Yamato?"  
  
He looked back at them, pausing from looking at the beautiful light show. "The messenger will come with a warning. Evil comes from across the Sea of Tides. Life will be threatened and bonds will form. The Prophecy of…hmm…that's a new color. Well, I can't read that word, but it says that the Prophecy thing begins when the Heirs come together. Hmm…" He glanced back at the Aurora.  
  
Nieve looked back at him, eyes wide as saucers. "You can READ it?"  
  
Yamato shrugged. "It's highly unlikely that I was creative enough to make a good spur-of-the-moment lie."  
  
Istas bobbed her head. "And we all know that Yamato is a horrid story- teller."  
  
They stayed there, looking at the Aurora until they heard some screaming coming from below. They peered down and saw someone wildly splashing around in the lake. The three youths stared at the person for a few moments.  
  
Yamato broke the silence, asking his friends, "Should the lake be water?"  
  
Nieve shrugged. "It was all ice and snow the last time I looked. He's a good swimmer." They fell into silence again, watching the poor fellow floundering.  
  
Istas gave a little shudder. "What are we doing? You forget that it's freezing cold in there? We must help him!" She stood up straight and leaped off the cliff as Eiramon flew out. Perfectly synchronized, she landed on her broad back and they flew down to the lake.  
  
"Why haven't we thought of that?" Nieve wondered as she mounted Chilalimon. Together, they sprung down the gorge and raced to the lake. Garurumon picked up the ice prince in a well-practiced move and he leapt up, looking extremely picturesque along with Yamato on his back and the Aurora in the background before they plummeted down.  
  
Yamato couldn't resist letting out an exhilarated whoop as they rapidly fell down the cliff (which was a lot higher than he expected.). Istas was already circling the blonde-haired swimmer, calling out to him, and Nieve and Chilalimon hopped over a protruding rock before getting to the lakeside. Garurumon landed on a springy pile of snow and catapulted over Chilalimon into the water.  
  
"We'll take care of it," he called to his friends over his shoulder. Garurumon easily evaded the large blocks of ice and they soon arrived at the spot where the boy was thrashing around.  
  
"Hey, kid!" Yamato called out. The boy turned to look at him, nearly causing Yamato to fall off Garurumon. He had Yamato's blue eyes. (A/N: Ten points! Ten points! I should make it 5, actually, but I like being nice.)  
  
"Takeru?" Yamato said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Drowning," his kid brother from the Kingdome of Hope answered as he continued to struggle to keep from slipping under the waves. "And f-f- freezing. Get me out of here!"  
  
Yamato snapped out of his amazement and pulled his brother out of the water onto Garurumon's back.  
  
Garurumon acknowledged the two princes on his back and said, "I'm heading back now, Matt, but where is Takeru's Digimon?"  
  
Takeru answered, "He's supposed to be searching for help, but you guys found me before he could play hero. Thanks." Yamato gave him his fur jacket to quell his freezing.  
  
As they reached the shore, Chilalimon and Nieve were bouncing up and down with worry. "Yamato! Yamato!" Chilalimon shouted. "Who is he? What's he doing here?"  
  
Not to be outdone, Nieve yelled, "Is he all right? Where's his Digimon?" The two soul mates looked at each other and grinned.  
  
Istas and Eiramon gracefully landed next to them. "There is a Digimon heading towards us, Yamato," Eiramon said, folding her flipper-like wings. "It is in the skies."  
  
They all looked up and saw something flapping toward them. Takeru grinned and waved. "It's Patamon!"  
  
As they waited for the flying Digimon to land, Yamato introduced his friends to his brother.  
  
"So now you know who we are," Nieve announced. "But who are you and what are you doing here?"  
  
"My name is Prince Takeru from the Kingdome of Hope and I am Yamato's younger brother. I was sent to bear the Kingdome of Friendship a message of gravest importance."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The vast jungles of the Kingdome of Sincerity are hard for foreigners to navigate in, thus newcomers often hired guides, unless they preferred to unknowingly walk into the lair of a furious Sunimon or stumble onto a mine field of sand traps. And when the herald from the Kingdome of Reliability hired a guide, his business was stated to be with the Empress and the Empress alone.  
  
This news traveled to the Empress's ears and she was prepared to receive the messenger.  
  
The hours dragged by and no couriers appeared at the Temple Palace of Palmera. Empress Mimi Tachikawa's fingers led a staccato beat on her armrest. Palmon, her Royal Digimon companion stared at the jungle scenery around them. A warm wind blew the tops of the trees back slightly.  
  
A few moments after, the young empress exploded from her seat and announced, "I'm tired of all this waiting!" She glanced down at the sentinels by the entrance of the Temple door. She leaned over the balcony and yelled, "You will call me once they arrive! Palmon and I will be at the shrine." She grinned at Palmon. "All this waiting is making my hair stand on end. Let's visit mother."  
  
"Good idea, Mimi!" Palmon exclaimed and hopped off her throne.  
  
The two of them made their way down the Temple Palace's hallways and eventually ended up in front of two large heavy-looking doors. The carvings on each were very ornate and looked like a jungle after rain has fallen. Close inspections revealed the dew drops falling off the leaves and the slight mist in the air.  
  
The guards gaped at her. They had not expected to see the Imperial Empress and her Digimon come by today.  
  
Mimi stood there, tapping her feet impatiently. It was fine to let them have a look, but did they have to take so long? Soon, she grew edgy at the prolonged wait and yelled, "Open the door already!"  
  
They came back to life and hastily unbolted the doors, pulling them open.  
  
Mimi stepped in and barely remembered to thank the guards. She always enjoyed coming into the shrine as a little girl. It was a lovely and large place and occupied a larger part of Palmera. There were exotic and tropical flowers everywhere, which were being attended to by several priestesses-in- training. The strong overpowering scent of sun begonias filled her nostrils as she walked to a particular altar.  
  
'Mother always did love sun begonias…they were just like her personality…'  
  
Mimi and Palmon bowed their heads in reverence. Palmon's eyes were misted over and Mimi was lost in her thoughts as she stared at the appropriately decorated altar.  
  
Her father had died long before her mother did, but it didn't matter to the kingdom. Only women ruled the Kingdome of Sincerity, after all. There never was anything like an Emperor ruling in Palmera. The blood of the first Tachikawa ran in Mimi's blood, coming from her mother's line. (A/N: In Sincerity, things are different with the last names and all. You see, they take the maiden name as their last ones.)  
  
Her mother wasn't born an Empress but was next in line for the throne. The cruel and bitter Empress who had ruled before the Tachikawa regime had mysteriously died. Her remaining followers continually persecuted her mother as she ascended the throne, accusing her of an assassination. Further study of the death revealed that there were no toxins found in her bloodstream. Eventually, the previous Empress's zealots stopped their harassment once it was clear that the Tachikawa family had nothing to do with her death.  
  
(A/N: Damned politics.)  
  
The Tachikawa reign was ruled justly but eventually, the fanatics rose again and attacked Mimi's mother through food poisoning. She had died due to a poison so rare and deadly that it would take years to cultivate a single seed. Mimi was merely five years of age when her father perished in an accident but she was thirteen years old when she ascended the throne.  
  
Mimi often thought about this with curiosity. Her first few years as the Empress were difficult, as she was too young to understand politics. She never understood how she had survived the court. There still seemed to be too many of the earlier Empress's supporters to be comfortable and she still had a lot to learn about being a ruler.  
  
She missed her mother so much. She hadn't really known her father that well, but she and her mother were so close to each other. Mimi frequently wished that her mother was still with her to guide her. She lost her temper too many times whenever her servants did the littlest of errors. She regretted doing all that, but still wished that…  
  
'No…wishing never solves anything…'  
  
She gave one last regretful sigh before she and Palmon rose their heads.  
  
Palmon looked at her mistress and took her hand. "Mimi," her sweet voice said. "We're gonna make it through, don't you worry. She would be so proud of what we've become."  
  
Mimi gave her a watery smile and hugged the plant-like Digimon tightly. "You're right, Palmon. I love you so much." She sniffed, a very un-Royal action. "Thanks."  
  
"Um…Empress Mimi?" Someone was standing behind her and she turned to look. It was the lavender-haired High Priestess, Miyako Inoue. She, like Mimi, had assumed her title young, and the two of them became fast friends, although there was a gap in their ages. They were introduced when Mimi became the Empress of the Kingdome of Sincerity, as Miyako's position was the second most important station as the High Priestess of Palmera.  
  
Miyako, unlike Mimi, was born to her title and had both of her parents and a full set of siblings to be her support during her harder training sessions of studying to become fit to rule.  
  
"What is it, Miyako?" Mimi smiled irritably at her friend, who looked troubled.  
  
"Mimi…something is in the air and I don't like it. The messenger has arrived and…" Miyako hesitated. "Well…I'm afraid that he brings tidings of danger. It would be wise to prepare for the worst."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Every morning, the citizens of the Kingdome of Kindness would see the heir Prince and his Royal Companion (his Digimon) run past in a hurry to get to the highest levels of the Great Wormtii Tree. They often would be greeted before the Prince ran past. Their Prince's name was a rather plain one, but it suited him well, for he wasn't known to be a pompous prig.  
  
Prince Ken of Ichijouji waved cheerfully to several people who knew him well. In spite of everything, Ken and Wormmon, his Digimon, often encountered them on their way to the highest branch which overlooked the land. After all, the height of the tree was immeasurable. Up there, they could see leagues around, the entire forest of Biyoara and glimpses of the desert of Agunatra. The seashore was also visible, along with occasional flickering views of the city within it.  
  
The twosome emerged from within the trunk to the broad main branches. He greeted the citizens who lived on this area. It was a lovely place, particularly because it was shaded by the higher branch, and they had a little village built here. It was named Worsamin Village. This village had the advantage to getting most of the assorted fruit Wormtii provided and was a thriving community.  
  
Ken looked up then back to Wormmon. "Ready?" The little worm Digimon nodded and replied, "Let's go!" He picked the Digimon up, placing him onto his shoulder, and said, "Hold tight, all right?"  
  
Thus the Prince began his daily climb to get to the winch that would take them up to the highest levels of the tree. He had to climb using the branches that covered the outer bark of the tree. These branches were smaller versions of the enormous ones that were large enough to build villages on and were equally as sturdy.  
  
After half an hour of easy climbing, they reached another main branch. This bough was where the winch was situated. Ken put Wormmon down and made his way down the branch to the winch. The winch was a something like a pulley, but more advanced. When the people from Knowledge visited a long time ago, they devised the winch so the citizens of Kindness could traverse their Home Tree easily. The winch crossed through the entire exterior of the massive tree.  
  
Ken and Wormmon hurried catch the winch coach they always used. They didn't need to worry about getting a seat on the winch, as crowded as it tended to get. The workers who used the winch daily got to know the heir very well, as he also needed to use the winch every day to get to the top of the tree, and always saved the two of them a seat.  
  
They made it just in time as the coach doors closed and started its rise to the higher levels.  
  
"Over here, Highness! I saved you a seat!" a rather rough voice called. Ken glanced in the direction of the voice and saw his friend, Seflisster, waving to him. He grinned and made his way over. Several people bowed deferentially as he crossed their paths. He and Wormmon plopped into the seats Seflisster provided rather thankfully.  
  
Ken and Seflisster started a conversation as the coach rose through the air. Wormmon was playing a game with Seflisster's Digimon, a spry-looking dragonfly named Odonatamon.  
  
As he and Seflisster discussed the construction of the latest underground caverns, a sudden lurch caused everyone to fall from their seats. Ken glanced out the windows and saw that they were at one of the higher levels across the trunk. This was wrong; the coach wasn't assigned to stop here.  
  
Startled, someone asked the engineer if something was wrong.  
  
"No, no…" the engineer murmured, looking back. "Nothing's wrong. Are any of you all right? I'm sorry."  
  
"We're fine," Ken spoke up. "But why did you stop us here?"  
  
She replied, "Your Highness, I just received a correspondence commanding me to bring you to this level. Your father has sent for you and it seems that he would like it very much if you made your way to the Stingilens Court immediately." The other people in the coach started to buzz with confusion and curiosity.  
  
"What's the matter?" Ken asked urgently. "Did he say anything about why he called me?" He was apprehensive. The last time something so urgent had summoned him from his daily venture, it was to inform him that his brother had died.  
  
The young engineer looked back at the dispatch and looked back, worry apparent in her eyes. "Your Highness…there isn't anything here other than a demand to get you there. You must hurry. There may be lives at stake."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The magnificent splendor of the city of Angewotep was inscribed in countless ballads and verses as incomparable and rightly so. It was a beautiful city that rivaled the fairy-tale grandeur of Gomatelen, deep within the sea. The golden walls of the city alone were causes for awe. The Palace of Gatoris was even more astounding to see, if it was possible, and it was. The soaring towers were breathtaking and the gardens of desert flowers were stunning splashes of color across a gold canvas.  
  
The people of Angewotep were all with dark hair and surprisingly pale complexions, although they wore light clothing that didn't exactly keep them safe from the sun. Perhaps they were different, as the Realm of Light was the most ancient of all Kingdomes. Their bloodlines spanned innumerable millennia.  
  
The most royal and longest ancestry belonged to the single unbroken heritage which tapered off to the young Princess Hikari. She was a young girl who would be the Queen of her kingdom when her mother reached the age of sixty. As her mother was still pretty young, she had a long wait and didn't mind at all.  
  
Although servants catered to her every whim, she had never been allowed out in the desert for fear of stray Digimon. The city of Angewotep was a large place, but it did little to soothe her desire to travel and see the world. Not only did she wish to journey across the world, she wished to do the simpler thing and meet her brother for the first time. (A/N: Another case of 'So close yet so far'.)  
  
Her brother, Taichi Kamiya by name, lived with the desert people of Courage and was son to the Tribal Caller, equivalent to a King among the desert vagabonds. Her mother, as a requirement due to some ancient treaty, wed the Tribal Caller's son due to the conditions of the accord. She, according to an ancient prophecy divined by the last seeress, was to be the mother of a great ruler.  
  
As of yet, Hikari had given no sign to be a great ruler. At least, to her she hadn't. Hikari spent most of her time studying the ancient prophecies in the library when she wasn't staring out into the desert on the highest tower. She was continuously fascinated by the accuracy of them when compared to history.  
  
Hikari ran her finger down the page until she spotted the area she last finished reading before she was called to her duties. Her companion, the Royal Gatomon, was seated on the heavy oak palm table and also scanning through a scroll. Her tail ring flashed crimson in the torchlight as it danced around.  
  
Absently, her eyes skimmed the words but her mind registered every single character on the page. The citizens of Light had started using books a century ago, but scrolls were still used frequently.  
  
Suddenly, her hands moved on their own accord and knocked aside the book she had been reading, reaching for a strange-looking scroll she hadn't ever seen in all her years within the library. She was startled and tried to turn to Gatomon for help, but she could not move on her own bidding. Her fingers flipped through the pages, eventually landing on a single page and her eyes were riveted to the page. Almost mechanically, the words burned themselves into her memory. Her eyes read without her prompting.  
  
  
  
But what of the land across the sea? Mine eye sees though they are blindfolded, and see they a world of continuous strife. Aye, the land we know little of is a perilous one indeed. Yet destiny saw it fit to besiege me with visions of life there. On the day when devastation strikes true on the Blue City will time be threatened by a Shade of Iniquity from across the great boundless ocean. The king falls under the assault of the Bloodless Shadow, his spirit flees. On this moment will one true meaning of the foresight be interpreted under the sparkling waves of our pure sea and a siren will be spread throughout the kingdoms of the lands in the east, for a cloaked Menace stalks the innocent peace. Darkness.  
  
Thus the Futures of the Kingdomes under the calendar of Knowledge will set eyes upon each other for the first time. Lo! For bonds will be made unbreakable and nothing in all its evilness shall severe it. Thus was familiar to the link with a human and his Soul-Friend. Nothing short of death may cause the ties to break.  
  
The Seeker of the Past will discover that prophecy lies within the walls of his home, hidden in ancient characterizations only one of the most ancient Kingdome can translate. As the divinations of seers of old are unraveled, the future also is taking place as the eyes of Dusk burn with death. The once-pure land of the East will start to mold upon itself and greatness the product of the Bonding Seed be met with destruction from within.  
  
Yes, Instrument of the Mighty Sun. Thine eyes art trapped unto this parchment, like the striped bee to the lovely sun begonia within the jungles of the East, for it is of great consequence that mine Prophecy be known to thee. Nothing may rend thy sight from the words inscribed. Thou wilt hearken unto mine words millions of revolutions after I have rested mine bones upon the earth I stand on. Thou must keep these words with thee, for thy tasks art of greatest importance and wrought with peril. Choose thy path wisely and understand the meaning of the Counsel of Light, for his outlooks on life wilt aid thee greatly.  
  
Take this with thee and knowest that what I tell thee is true. Thy eyes will return to thee now, for thou knowest of the great import mine message possesses. A courier shalt visit thee within moments of thy reading, bearing thee a message of truth, devastation and immediate urgency, and nothing will be the same again. Thus will thee know that all said here is valid.  
  
The tragedy shalt be know to thee and the sand which is familiar to thee shalt be turned to black grains under the glare of the sky. Be warned, child! Thus will be the handiwork of the fiend who spread death like a disease far away, the monster who sheared the Stone of Life apart! The Stone of Life in thy land is well-hidden, though that will stop the shadow not. Protect it, and when the Marks are joined together in the place above the sky, it will reveal itself. Care for thy life at the moment of darkness, for the flying arrow hides deadly deceptions. Thou must fight! For if the seed of evil spreads over thee, thy life will be forfeit and all will rend to pieces, floating in the wind of evil. Be warned, Instrument of the Sun, for thou wilt be weaker than a newborn pup when the sun covers its eyes. Live well and take comfort in thy surroundings, for dark times run before us with evil at its heels.  
  
(A/N: Man, that sounded cool. All lovely gibberish to me!)  
  
The weathered book suddenly snapped shut and Hikari reeled back, her back rigid on the soft posterior of the chair. She was slightly wheezing, for the strange compulsion of her eyes to read had returned her will with great force. Her head rang and she placed a hand on her temple, wincing at the effort she required to lift her hand.  
  
Gatomon glanced at her mistress with concern etched upon her feline face. "Hikari. Are you all right?"  
  
Hikari slowly placed her hand on the parchment and returned the other to her lap. She then looked up at her Digimon. 'Should I tell her what just happened? Do I believe what happened?' She tilted her head and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Gatomon. Just a little spell of dizziness."  
  
Gatomon still looked worried. "Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn't have tried that aroma Eleni had given you."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Well, isn't she noted for being a famous assassin? She enjoys intrigue and those dangerous games you two play are often deadly. Pure dumb luck is the only thing that saves you two from blowing Gatoris up."  
  
Hikari shrugged. "The two of us graduated from the assassin training. What else do you expect?"  
  
The cat Digimon looked at her with what could only be described as frustration and sighed. "Never mind." She suddenly sprang off the table and landed on Hikari's lap, nuzzling deeply into her arms.  
  
The brown-haired girl smiled gently and closed her eyes. A breeze ran through the pillars of the room and ruffled her hair, which she kept short according to the latest fashion in Angewotep. (A/N: Short hair rules!) She closed her eyes and smiled gently.  
  
"Princess Hikari!"  
  
Her head jerked up in surprise and the two of them turned to the archway where a dark-haired girl stood. It was Eleni, the one whose games she and Hikari often undertook in frequently were cause for worrry. Eleni was her cousin, and they both often played dangerous games with each other, Eleni in hopes of her succession to the throne and Hikari because she simply enjoyed them.  
  
Of course, Eleni was never serious.  
  
"Yes, Eleni?" she stood up. Gatomon jumped back onto the table, greeting Eleni's Digimon, the black and yellow cat Felismon. The two cats nodded to each other, tails waving accordingly.  
  
"Your mother calls for you. She's asking you to make your presence at the hall." Eleni smiled at her cousin.  
  
A cold feeling dominated all others as Hikari froze. "Wh-what for?"  
  
Eleni shrugged. "Some messenger from Gomatelen came here today. He looks ragged. Why do you ask? In my opinion, princesses should do their duties without any questions."  
  
'A courier shalt visit thee within moments of thy reading…'  
  
Hikari put on a forced smile. "It's nothing, Eleni." Gatomon looked at her curiously,  
  
'…Bearing thee a message of truth, devastation and immediate urgency…'  
  
"Is it serious?" Hikari got up and gestured to Gatomon to follow her. Both of them walked down the open corridors with Eleni and Felismon, leaving the breezy library behind.  
  
Eleni shrugged. "There was a sense of exigency in your mother's voice when she commanded me to find you." She shook her head, clucking her tongue disapprovingly. "As if I were some kind of servant."  
  
"What do you mean?" the smaller girl asked.  
  
"Well, the queen had broken the chalice she was drinking from. I honestly didn't know that auntie had that sort of strength in her." Eleni continued to banter on and Hikari by now had drowned her out. She was immersed in her thoughts. What the old seeress had said was true. A courier HAD come. There was urgency in this letter. But what about the last part?  
  
They finally reached the grand open hall. Hikari bowed gracefully to her mother, as did her cousin and their Digimon. The Queen smiled at them, although it was strained. There was a piece of parchment in her hand and evidence of a spill of wine at her feet. She, it appeared, had not allowed any of the servant to clean it up for her.  
  
"You sent for me, mother?" Hikari asked as soon as she was allowed to take her seat next to her mother's throne.  
  
The Queen nodded, her eyes grim. "Hikari, my daughter. How would you like to see your brother, Taichi?"  
  
Hikari's heart leapt. Surely nothing bad would come out of this, if she would be granted the liberty to do so! She would be able to see her brother at last! What happened in the library must have simply been a little coincidence. "Mother, of course!" she exclaimed, glancing excitedly at Gatomon, whose eyes mirrored the joy Hikari felt strongly.  
  
"Hikari…" her mother cleared her throat. "Today, a message was conveyed unto us from the Kingdome of Reliability. Now—"  
  
"You mean brother Taichi is in Gomatelen? Are we going to Gomatelen?" She was so excited.  
  
"Hikari." Her mother's stern tone indicated that she shouldn't have interrupted and that her behavior was unseemly. "I haven't finished speaking yet. Please wait until I am done."  
  
The princess bowed her head. "Sorry, mother."  
  
The older woman smiled and took up where she left off. "As I was saying, Hikari, something important has happened in the city of Gomatelen. The Heir Prince died, leaving young Jyou to the throne."  
  
A crash resounded outside and several people screamed. And the world was thrust into darkness. Hikari's eyes glazed over as pain shot through her shoulder. Her eyelids lowered and she fell to the floor, no longer feeling anything. Not even fear.  
  
'…And nothing will be the same again.'  
  
****  
  
Cryptic, isn't it? 


	3. The Moves are Made

I'm feeling slightly proud of this chapter. Long and fun to read (At least, for me. I *like* these kind of stuff.)

****

The dark shadow had looked up, and it hissed terribly. It had left the strange underwater city after it had wreaked destruction upon the crystalline levels. The sun was bright here, a shining vision of life. Unacceptable.

Letting out a sound of pain as sunlight struck it, it soared over the living beach to hide in the shade of a jutting rock. The light would have to go.

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There was nothing.

She was dead.

Darkness was all around her. It was as intangible as the stars one may see in the desert sky, so clear and bright. They would seem so near, but when you reach out to touch them, there is nothing. But dimly, Hikari began to see a little dancing light. Slowly, little by little, she returned to being, her mind reaching out toward the light. And as she returned to being, feeling came along with it.

And coming along with feeling was pain.

She let out a soul-searing cry as burning lanced through her body. She could feel her heart and its pulses, and each beat seemed to further drain her strength to remain awake and force her into pained unconsciousness. She was certain that that which gave her life would also end it. There was no sound coming from her lips, though. Curiosity caused her to shut her mind from its agonized screaming and wonder where she was, if she was not dead.

All of a sudden, overriding the pain was the unbearable sense of loneliness. Where was Gatomon? Hikari knew that she could not live without her Digimon. She hoped that Gatomon wasn't feeling the pain she was feeling. She didn't deserve that.

"MY CHILD." An awful presence suddenly overwhelmed her mind. A carefully set shield protected her, though. But where did that shield come from?

Suddenly, she saw herself in her mind's eye. She stood up, looking around carefully for the tremendous voice. Somehow, Hikari didn't fear this presence; it was somehow familiar to her. Like an old toy she had forgotten, but never stopped loving. But this presence was more than that of a loved one, it was like some awesome force bearing down on her mind…

Like a god. Oh, great merciful Elin. Hikari suddenly had a strange suspicion sneaking up on her.

The voice let out a chuckle. "THOU WERT ALWAYS KEEN-MINDED AND PERCEPTIVE. FOR THINE ASSUMPTION OF WHO I AM RINGS TRUE AMONG THE HEAVENS; INDEED, I AM THE GOD OF THY PEOPLE, THE FATHER OF LIGHT."

Hikari felt awed at the magnitude of the god's mind. But that was all that she could feel. Suddenly, another round of fire enveloped her senses and she sent out a desperate cry. "Save me, father!" she pleaded. "Or at least aid me by ending my life. Please!"

In her mind's eye, she saw the god of her people, Elin. He was not exactly as he was described among the priests in the Temple of Light. For one thing, Hikari couldn't see thunderbolts adorning his head; he wore a simple turban instead of a magnificent headdress. His beard was as white as the clear clouds hovering over the desert and his golden eyes were brighter than the sand.

He was shaking his head. "NAY, MY DAUGHTER, THOUGH IT RENDS MINE HEART TO SEE THEE IN THY SUFFERINGS ANND TEMPTATION DOTH BECKON TO ME TO ERADICATE ALL EVIL THOU WILT ENCOUNTER, THERE IS NAUGHT I CAN DO TO GIVE THEE COMFORT, THOUGH I AM INDEED A GOD, BUT TELL THEE THAT THY COMPANION DEAREST TO THINE PURE HEART—NAY, FOR THY COMPANION _IS THY HEART." Elin paused pensively. "'TIS A NEW CONCEPT TO BE DEALT WITH," he mused. "PERHAPS—"_

Hikari interrupted him, as the pain in her overwhelmed all other senses of propriety. "Please tell me where Gatomon is," she beseeched. "Where is my Digimon? Is she well?" She was a little startled to see that her god had some human qualities. His rambling indicated that, along with his windy speech.

"AH, YES." The god smiled at her. "I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT THY CONCERN FOR THY SOUL PERSISTS EVEN IN THE BINDINGS OF PAIN. LOVE IS A HUMAN CONCEPT TO BE STUDIED GREATLY, FOR GODS, TOO, HAVE THEIR FLAWS, AND DISTANCE HATH INDEED TAUGHT US SO. YES, I HAVE LEARNED LOVE, AS THIS IS WHAT I FEEL FOR THY PEOPLE OF THE DESERT."

"Gatomon?" Hikari begged. Elin seemed to be wandering off the subject. The idea of a blathering god was amusing, but she had no strength to laugh, as pain superseded everything else. Her worry for her Digimon caused a sick feeling in her mind.

"THY INTREPID HEART DOTH BEAT STRONGLY, THOUGH EACH GENUINE BEAT OF THY PHYSICAL HEART DRAWS THEE NEARER TO ETERNAL DARKNESS." The god looked slightly abashed. "I AM SORRY, HIKARI, FOR WANDERING OFF THE POINT WHICH THOU SO SORELY FRETS OF. IT ALWAYS EXHILARATES ME TO BE ABLE TO CONVERSE WITH ONES I FEEL STRONGLY FOR." He smiled fondly at her.

Somehow, his presence abated her fear and more calmly, she asked her god, "What is happening to me?"

"THOU WERT POISONED, DAUGHTER OF THE RULER," he told her, his ancient yet youthful face growing mournful. "AND THY POISONER HATH YET TO BE APREHENDED BY THY SUBJECTS. KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THY POISONER IS DANGEROUS, AND RUNS FREE AMONG THY CITIZENS, WEAVING MISTRUST AND TROUBLE IN THE STREETS OF THY GOLDEN CITY. THOU AND THY ATTACKER WILT MEET ANON."

Hikari was startled. That was the cause of her throbbing pain in her blood. "Am…" she hesitated, and then decided that it wasn't a serious break in decorum. "Am I dying?" she asked, fearing the answer.

Elin answered carefully. "THE POISON HATH NO KNOWN ANTIDOTE AND HATH NEVER FAILED TO TAKE ITS VICTIMS INTO THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH—"

Her heart sank. 

"BUT E'EN AT THIS MOMENT DO THEY MAKE THEIR WAY HITHER AND TOWARDS ETERNAL MEMORY," the god continued, his face lightening as he smiled benevolently at the princess. "AND THOU WILT BE CONTENT. REST NOW, FOR A GREAT DEAL OF IMPERATIVE EVENTS WILL COME TO PASS."

His presence slowly diminished and Hikari began to drowse, wondering what the god of Light meant.

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Before all the light disappeared, before the desert of Agunatra was thrust into darkness, all of the tribes under the Kingdome of Courage were gathered into the desert city of Agulis, where the Tribe Caller ruled over the Kingdome of Courage. They were all called to the only city Courage possessed by the current Tribe Caller, Saiotchi of the Greysenai tribe. The castle was named Greyansil and was constructed with large yellow blocks so abundant deep in the deserts.

Taichi had been busy greeting the Tribe Chiefs of each clan as they entered the room they used for Tribal Gatherings when every Tribe of Courage assembled in Agulis, which were very rare, as the common means for discussing events were messengers sent across the desert. There was wise old Dainkin, a close family friend, who was the Tribe Leader of Merasen. The young leader of Candlesear, Alyro, was there. He and Taichi were good friends. He was enthusiastically greeted by the fiery Alyro when he returned from the desert. The two of them and their Digimon made their way through the city and into the palace.

Taichi was currently seated next to his father and Alyro, waiting for order among the lightly chatting Tribe Leaders. When all of them were silent and waiting for Saiotchi to address them, Taichi's father stood up.

"My brothers," he began, when he was interrupted by a soft, "humph," coming from the direction of the only female leader, Jun of the Tribe Fladrakis. He let out a chuckle and said, "Excuse me, Jun. I've forgotten that your brother declined the post of Tribe Leader. Now," he continued, "There is turmoil from across the sea, am I right?"

Several chiefs bobbed their heads, urging him on, although this was common knowledge. Satisfied, the man went on:

"We don't know much about them, but recently, there came news from the Imperial city of Gomatelen."

Dainkin nodded. "They sent a messenger and we picked him up before he got lost in the rocky areas of our desert."

"What message did he bear?" Raio of Lavaloi asked curiously. 

"A very important one," Saiotchi answered. "But none of it is pleasing. My fellow rulers, how much do you know about that land across the sea?"

"Only that there is great evil abroad that continent," the sober leader of Flarelizanai spoke up. "And that, should anyone from across the ocean come to our continent, we should be on our guard, for they may bring their wars with them."

"Anything else?" Taichi's father looked around.

"No, Saiotchi," the large bearded chief of Flamelak rumbled. "Old Eredain pretty much summed everything up what we know about those people." He jerked his thumb to the last speaker, who looked slightly offended.

Eredain gave him a thin smile. Eredain was very much younger than most of the Tribe Leaders of Courage, although he was wiser and more intelligent than most of the people in the room of Tribal Gatherings. He was only a few years older than Jun, who was a few years older than Taichi and Alyro.

"Thank you, Angkchi." The Tribal Caller nodded to him. "Now. The letter that was given to us is very urgent. It seems that there was a major breach in one of their crystals, and a chain reaction caused by the water pressure destroyed most of their first defenses against anything the beings from across the sea might throw against us. There is talk of an intruder in the city of Gomatelen. From the looks of it, the interloper left a wide trail of destruction behind it."

"What were the casualties?" Taichi asked, looking alarmed.

"A large number," his father replied. "At least, to them. That city is full of fishermen, and fishermen aren't known to cause much wars, so their opinion for the death toll numbers are different from ours. More importantly, among their dead is the Crown Prince of Gomatelen."

There was a stunned reaction among the Tribal Leaders. Jun spoke up:

"Saiotchi." She looked at him. "I knew the prince. I accompanied the emissaries who went to Gomatelen from our own Tribe, as Fladrakis' territory is closest to the shoreline." Taichi noted curiously that there was a look of pain in her eyes.

The girl continued, "He and I became good friends and I learned from him about the task he was destined to—"

"Yes," Saiotchi of Greysenai said. "And now his responsibilities fall to his younger brother, Jyou. What do you know of his character?"

"I'm sure that Jyou will be able to handle the burden. He's very responsible and studious."

Saiotchi nodded. "Good. Then we won't have to take any steps."

"What does this concern us?" The Tribe Leader of Agundaro demanded. "Reliability may be on our border, but why do their affairs concern us? They are simply fishermen with a grand city and no sense of battle. What use do they have for us? We are the Warriors of Courage."

Taichi's father fixed him with a cool gaze which Taichi knew too well. The leader of Agundaro was going to get reprimanded rather badly. "Neschi." He frowned at the burly man. "Do not dismiss such important matters with the air of a pompous fool. Are you so uneducated that you don't have the sense to tell that Gomatelen and its adjacent cities along the coast are our first lines of defense from the probable danger presented to us from across the sea? They are not mere fishermen as they are geniuses. Where do you think most of the pragmatic inventions get invented? Tentorelle is too busy inventing dramatic machines for anything useful. All they invent are things to aid in their research. Don't be a fool."

Neschi's lowered his head and said through gritted teeth, "I beg for forgiveness for my impertinence." (A/N: 'What's impertinent?' Hehe. Jaina.)

Taichi watched the man carefully. Neschi was a shrewd and devious man, something not palpable to his uncivilized appearance. Not many people ever wanted to have him against them. The big man's dark eyes were narrowed and glinting angrily. Perhaps Saiotchi shouldn't have berated him so embarrassingly, but it was understandable that he was foolish to think that Gomatelen was just a pretty city under the waves of the ocean. Inventors in Reliability were second only to the ascetic scholars of Knowledge, who were too cuddled up with their books and pompous arrogance to care about the problems of the world. The workers in the Kingdome of Reliability, on the other hand, were more perspicacious and actually spent time to consider building things that were actually constructive.

"You are forgiven," the Tribe Caller said shortly. "But do not dismiss the people of Reliability, nor the other Kingdomes in our land. Times draw close when we must come together to rise against a common enemy. Their defenses are very formidable and they can create weapons that kill five men in four seconds. Fortunately, they haven't persisted on developing this machine. They had the insight that if normal people had been able to get their hands on this new technology, deaths would happen everyday."

"What an idea," marveled Angkchi. "That would be a marvelous tool to have in battle."

Grimly, Saiotchi of Greysenai nodded. "Alas, the time may come when they may have to return their attentions back to this machine of death."

Alarmed, Eredain stood up and stated, "Great Tribe Caller, there is something I fear my mind suspects. May I speak of it?"

Taichi's father gave him a smile. "Do not hesitate to speak, young Eredain. Your words may shed light on things that remain a mystery to us other leaders. Your mind assesses things much faster than do ours, thus your words may be meaningful." 

Eredain bowed and said, "You compliment me but I feel that my words will do nothing but bring worry into the hearts of our brothers. I have observed your words and I find that there is something else in this meeting, that you had not called us all here simply to discuss the letter of the messenger. You would have merely sent us couriers top inform us of anything momentous."

"And?" Aingku of Agulai asked, impatient and a little worn by the younger leader's eloquence. "Come on, get to the point, boy. We've no time for dallying. I've got places to go, places much more enjoyable than this stuffy council room. Make your little speech and sit down."

Taichi didn't doubt what he meant. The chief of Agulai was a notorious drunkard and often frequented the taverns in Agulis. He was a burly man in his forties, a well-seasoned warrior by then as were all men at that age among the tribes of Courage, and had an equally large attitude. His asperity toward Taichi's father was well-known among the tribes in the desert. The Chief of the Clan of Agulai was supposed to ascend the title of Tribe Caller and dwell in the castle of Greyansil. After a long, complicated series of events, they somehow lost the right to the right to taking the title and his enmity was released upon the new chief, Taichi's father.

Eredain looked at the warrior coolly. The two of them had instantly disliked each other when they first met. But then again, it was no secret either, for most of the chiefs despised the scheming man, as it was that he imposed his antagonism on every other man. But Aingku seemed to concentrate his hostility to Eredain in particular, and that fired up the young man's hatred, which was rather odd, as Eredain was a serious, practical man, usually liked by everyone unintentionally. 

The other leaders watched, afire with curiosity. Taichi rolled his eyes. They were no better than the peasants in their urge to know all the latest gossip. 

The young red-haired chief of Flarilizanai shrugged indifferently. "I'm sorry, Chief Aingku, if my words bore you, but I must work my way through the idea before I make any conclusions. It is a pity that impatience is not one of your traits, for perhaps that would have given you a lot more than a small Rookie tribe." 

Having made his own insult to the older man, his face resumed its normal apathy. "But I digress. Tribal Caller, you speak of a wish that this tool of destruction to be mastered and completed, which seems an abominable idea to me because this item would certainly cause trouble. You speak of the import of the defenses of the city of Gomatelen and how it is our first field of resistance against any sieges. You speak of unity among the Kingdomes, therefore the threat before us will involve all of the other kingdoms, thus requiring us to come together to form an alliance in preparation for the coming war against the forces which may come from across the sea."

There was silence in the room. Taichi marveled at the extent of Eredain's wisdom and shrewdness.

Saiotchi nodded approvingly. "Once again, young Eredain discerns the truth from my unobtrusive speeches. Fair work. Indeed, war is what I speak of, and war against the shady people from across the sea." 

He suddenly turned to glance at Taichi. His eyes were filled with a great sadness. Taichi was startled. He hadn't seen his father's eyes like that since his little sister, Hikari, left with his mother, who was the ruler of the Kingdome of Light. "My son, a great burden lies ahead of you as the successor to the title of Courage."

In a voice which addressed all of the people in the chamber, he asked them, "How much do you know about the Prophecy of the Ages?"

He was answered with puzzled looks on all sides.

"Prophecy?" Angkchi snorted. "Saiotchi, you spend too much time with your head in the sand. Everyone knows that those scrolls full of gibberish are foolish and unreadable. I've tried to read it once, and the first paragraph gave me a migraine!"

The Tribe Caller shrugged. "Perhaps it is gibberish. But it is surprisingly accurate."

"But the Children of Knowledge have studied it for years," Dainkin interjected. He looked confused. "And so have the citizens of Light. Why couldn't they have predicted the disaster in Gomatelen if the scrolls are correct in predicting the events?"

"Who knows why those people do the things they do? We are a warrior people," Taichi's father replied. "But the point is that I've never known it to be incorrect." He picked up a book. "I don't quite feel the need to convince all of you and I certainly don't want to waste time on a debate whether they are true or not, so I'll get down to business."

"Finally," Aingku muttered.

Saiotchi looked at him sternly. "Do I sense hostility, Chief Aingku?"

Aingku averted his eyes and muttered an apology.

"There will be a council in the city of Angewotep, where we will discuss the possibilities of the falsity of the Prophecy, along with the more believable issues of the recent destruction of several levels of Gomatelen," the Caller continued. "The Emperor of Gomatelen suspects that the intruder came from across the sea."

Surprised, Sateel, the chief of Meraniag mused, "That would entail that this intruder's intentions are no good to have purposefully ruined the first defense." He raised his head. "This fellow must be quite strong."

"Why is that?" Jun questioned.

He answered, "The barriers of Gomatelen are extremely powerful and made of around ten feet of diastone. You couldn't cut through their walls with an army, no matter how many years you try."

"Plus," Raio added, "He would've had to swim all the way across the great sea. It would have tired him to a great extent."

"Don't be too sure," Jun disagreed. "He might have had the use of a machine to ferry him across the ocean. My brother, Daisuke, is in the shores of the Kingdome of Reliability because he wants to experiment with machinery. So far, he's been able to get his contraptions further across the water than anyone else has." She made a face. "I'm actually sticking up for him. Good thing he hasn't succeeded yet or else he'd be unbearable to live with when he comes back."

Taichi chuckled. He knew Daisuke and was positive that if he *did* succeed in sending a ship across the ocean, he would shove it in his older sister's face in an ostentatious display of triumph. The two of them took sibling rivalry to the extremes, but he often found himself envying them for their surprising closeness. He wished that he could meet his little sister, Hikari. Correspondence from Angewotep informed him that she was a studious girl, serious to a fault. Taichi found that idea interesting and often wondered what would happen if they would meet.

Saiotchi was speaking. "All of this may be premature, but I advise you to command your warriors to gird for battle. The rulers of each Kingdome have been called to gather at the palace of Gatoris for a conference. I shall leave Dainkin in charge of the affairs of state while I am gone."

"He's an old man, Saiotchi!" Aingku exploded. "He won't be of much use when war calls."

"I give you my word that I would be rather competent with the role of administering the city at the Tribe Caller's command, Chief Aingku of Agulai," Dainkin said mildly, though the significance of his words dug much deeper, implying the difference of Aingku's rank to Saiotchi's. "And of war? Why, how else do you think I survived all my years to live such a ripe old age? I'd think it best to say the same for all other old men, wouldn't you?"

Aingku's face darkened and he glared at the judicious old man.

"Well, then," Saiotchi announced. "I trust Dainkin's word and so does everyone else." He gave Aingku a long hard look and continued, "Now that that's settled, I suppose I can go to Angewotep without worrying about loose ends, eh Taichi?"

Taichi grinned at his father. "I'd guess so, father."

Saiotchi clapped his hands in a businesslike manner. "All right. We leave at noon tomorrow. Now, since we're all here, I'd like to take advantage of the rare significant moments when all of the brave Leaders of Courage are together in a council. On to other matters…"

As Taichi's father continued, moving the topic onto the tax rates and commerce issues, Taichi noticed that the Chief of Agulai was shooting a glare at Saiotchi. There was a deep hatred in his eyes and something that seemed to pierce into the very depths of his being. A murderous intent…no, a promise. Aingku moved his gaze to Taichi for a brief moment then turned away.

Somehow, Taichi couldn't help shivering from the look he was given. Aingku was not finished yet. He would take his time and watch until the time was right for him. Make sure that the circumstances were right and that no allies were around to intervene.

Then he would strike.

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Koushiro gaped at the sky through the circular window installed into the ceiling. He was seated on a seat, one vulgar display of wealth and pomp. He didn't like this seat very much, but he was obliged to sit there, due to the fact that he was the Head of the Council of Knowledge. He was, at the moment, at the meeting which young Iori had called him to attend and sitting with the Heads of the other factions which made up the Kingdome of Knowledge.

They had finished discussing the letter from the city of Gomatelen and dismissed the tired-looking messenger, sending him to his rooms. Koushiro was going to go south to the city of Angewotep, along with several of his companions. They were moving on to the prophecy (as the scholars and skeptics of Tentorelle, it would be expected of them to waste time arguing about whether the prophecies of the Ages were true or not) and were at the finer points of their arguments when suddenly, the world was plunged into darkness.

All of the scholars had jumped to their feet, gasping at the sky. Koushiro just sat there, gawking at the sky until Iori, who sat at his side quietly until then, leaned over and asked him, "Koushiro, shouldn't you try to get them to quiet down to discuss what it is?"

Koushiro shook himself out of his reverie and stood up, hoping that this would be noticed by the panicked scholars. It didn't really help much, though, since the Head of the Council of Knowledge was, to put it in rather gentle terms, diminutive, therefore barely anyone paid him any heed. He frowned at this. People at his tender adolescent age don't usually like being ignored.

He sighed irritably and hoped that Tentomon would fare better in the Digimon Council.

"Sit down," he called to his fellow academics. But he wasn't heard through their panicking and fretting.

"Will I have order in this council room?" he yelled, a tic suddenly twitching in his temple.

Immediately, the frightened scholars stopped and stared, fascinated, at the pulsing tic on their Head's forehead head, their terror at the unexpected darkness forgotten. Their eyes seemed to bounce with it. 

Silence enveloped the room. Koushiro noticed this with satisfaction and waited for them to sit down to hear his words. But they didn't move at all. In the flickering of the torches by the stone walls, he noticed that their eyes were bobbing all to the same tune.

"What are they looking at, Iori?" he asked from the side of his mouth. Perhaps there were stains on his black mantle? He wore his black mantle and high hat as symbols of his authority. The people of Knowledge always did. The colors were as follows: black for the members of the Council, white for the sages, and gray for the scholars. There were several levels within each level (sage, adept sage, senior sage) and badges which signified which level they belonged to.

A persnickety complication, but it kept the stuffy scholars happy.

"You, Koushiro," he replied in the same way, though he was looking at the redhead, too.

"Me? Whatever for?"

"You have a very fascinating bulge on your forehead when you're mad, did you know?" Iori grinned.

He scowled at the black-haired boy and turned his glowering gaze to the others. "Stop that," he demanded to the watching sages, although none of them were acting very sagely at the moment. "Sit down!" he bellowed.

Hurriedly, all the venerable citizens resumed their seats. As soon as they were all settled in, they glanced at him, waiting.

Koushiro cleared his throat. "As you can all see, none of us expected this darkness, and that caused *quite* a stir." He gave all of them stern looks. "I expect that next time, during an unexpected emergency, you will all keep your heads on straight?"

Looking a little sheepish, most of the scholars nodded. 

"Now." He rubbed his hands in a businesslike manner. "Does anyone have any theories about this phenomenon?"

A girl in a white mantle stood up. "Master Koushiro."

He nodded, smiling faintly. "Go ahead, Sage Phinen." Phinen was one of the wisest members of the Council of Knowledge, despite her young age. Her opinion was greatly respected, but she tended to go off toward the more arcane studies. Phinen belonged to the Ancient Study of Mysteries department. Although some people in the Kabuteric Mountains disapproved of her, she and Koushiro had quickly grown close, probably due to the fact that both of them were the same age and both were also regarded as 'odd', although they were both high in position and power.

"I know that all of you are probably tired of hearing me say this," she started, standing up. "But this time, I *mean* it. Though the people of Tentorelle are those who rely most heavily on facts which can be achieved through repeated experiments, we shouldn't let this fact block our view of the other side of logic. There are many ways to look at a problem, but the best way to look at it is from all sides, so as not to miss anything.

"The way I propose to look at the problem may seem unconventional to most of you, but I believe that, this time, I may be right. I present the plea to all of you to just hear me out before you say anything." She turned to Koushiro and there was a pleading yet threatening look in her eyes.

Koushiro smiled faintly. Phinen was shrewd enough to ask for the ritual which wouldn't allow anyone to interrupt her until she sat down. He nodded perfunctorily, following the formal procedure. "We take this plea in and listen to your words, Sage Phinen of the Ancient Study Department." Koushiro knew that he would get a reprieve later on for not reciting her entire title. He knew that it would unbalance her, and that was a thing he enjoyed doing, for some reason. Nobody was allowed to boss him around.

Phinen looked peeved as she replied the formal words of gratitude. "Uh…yes. Well, I thank the Council for their wisdom and kindness. As I was saying, my possible solution to the problem lies in the letter from Gomatelen. The events quite closely mirror the predictions of a certain seeress from many years ago."

"Preposterous!" a stuffy Physics scholar exploded.

Koushiro turned to him with a stern look on his face. "Scholar Korrun, I advise you to follow the ritual for once. I'm willing to pardon your offensive flouting but quite honestly, the mere sight of you makes my stomach turn. If you have nothing better to say, I'd like to tell you that any further eruptions from you will be treated otherwise." He turned to look at the other scholars and asked pleasantly. "Would anyone else like to add his reactions to the pile so we may sweep it out permanently?" His words, though, had undertones of a challenge.

The members of the Council shook their heads.

 "Good. You may proceed, Sage Phinen."

Phinen smiled. "Thank you, revered Head of the Council. May Logic see fit to place you among the stars. The words of the seeress Kihira from the Year of Search still ring true after all these centuries. I'm sure that some of you have delved into her scrolls at least once. I request permission for those of you who did to stand up."

Koushiro nodded. "Permission granted. Stand up now."

Five of the members stood up. Koushiro knew each one of them. There was Koowa, the Head of the Medicine Department. He had no idea why the physician would ever read books of prophecy. He was far too matter-of-fact for things which may sound like fairy tales.

Scholar Andephin, the Sage of the Ancient Study of Mysteries, nodded to Koushiro. She was an elderly lady who looked fifteen years younger than her actual age. *That* in itself was a mystery for her to study. Koushiro nodded back. She was a lady greatly respected.

Academic Oushen's standing up was a surprise. He was one of the high members of the Council and many thought of him as a no-nonsense sort.

Senior Scholar Eniros stood with great dignity. She was a revered member of the Council, and she was the Head of the Department of World History.

Last to stand was the great Sage Gishide, the leader of the Researcher's Facility. He stood last because of his vast paunch. Although he was a little too fond of food and good strong ale, Gishide was one of the shrewdest members of the Council.

"Now," Phinen continued. "Tell me if I'm making this up." She cleared her throat. "Skipping the introductory passages and several meaningless sentences, we start:

_'On the day when devastation strikes true on the __Blue__City__ will time be threatened by a Shade of Iniquity from across the boundless ocean. The king falls under the assault of the Bloodless Shadow, his spirit flees. On this moment will one true meaning of the foresight be interpreted under the sparkling waves of our pure sea and a siren will be spread throughout the kingdoms of the lands in the east, for a cloaked Menace stalks the innocent peace.'_

"So, did I quote everything correctly?" Phinen asked the five who stood up. They nodded. "Doesn't it strike you as odd that Gomatelen was called the 'Blue City' exactly three thousand years ago?" Phinen asked the scholars. "It's also odd that the letter from Reliability warns us of danger from across the ocean?" She quoted again, "'On this moment will one true meaning of foresight be interpreted under the sparkling waves of our pure sea and a siren will be spread throughout the kingdoms of the lands in the east, for a cloaked Menace stalks the innocent peace.' Correct?" She looked inquiringly at the members standing.

"You missed the part where Seeress Kihira says, 'Darkness', Sage Phinen," Gishide told her.

"Darkness?" Phinen looked startled. "Where do you find that, Sage Gishide? I don't have it in my copy."

"It comes right after your last sentence. I suppose your copy is corrupted. I took mine from the libraries of Angewotep."

Phinen looked thoughtful. "All of the major books come from the City of Light…Yours must be more accurate." She paused. "If that is right, doesn't it mean that it's true? Look outside, scholars! There is the darkness being referred to!" Her tone was excited.

"Get back to the point, Sage Phinen. You're wandering," Koushiro reproved.

"I beg forgiveness, Master Koushiro. Right then in Gomatelen, didn't the King mention something about the prophecy in his letter? It's entirely possible that he meant it only figuratively, but when you think about it, the tone in his message was alarmed and indeed was a siren spread throughout the kingdoms. The King of Reliability had indeed sent messengers to every Kingdome in the land in the east to inform them of his suspicion of an intruder from the west.

"The survivors who last saw the prince of Reliability before his demise had also testified that the prince's murderer wore a hooded cloak. They could not, however, see the intruder's face because they had run to sound the alarm. Also, let us take into count the history of our land in the east." Phinen looked around. "Am I right to say that there never was a war between any two kingdoms? The only thing we ever had that ever came near to being a war was so long ago when the first citizens of Courage fled this Holy Temple. And that was only a minor skirmish. If you read the entire set of Kihira's prophecies, you'll see that this seeress was extremely accurate in her predictions.

"That is all I have to say about my speculations. I hope that I have planted at least a curiosity about this in your minds. Maybe there is a lot more to life than the things we see past our noses. I hereby sit down and request Academic Oushen, Sage Gishide, Head Koowa, Senior Scholar Eniros, and Scholar Andephin to do the same. I offer you my thanks and a share in the Book of Wisdom. My plea for a free-speaking voice of reason has come to its conclusion and I offer the Head of the Council my thanks also and a share in the Book of Wisdom."

Phinen then sat down, as did the other five. 

The other scholars started to buzz. Koushiro could hear catches of conversations.

A plump little lady, a senior sage, according to the white mantle she wore and the badge pinned to her cloak, was agreeing with Phinen but an equally small man, also a senior sage, argued with her on that point. 

Koushiro cleared his throat. "Thank you, Sage Phinen, and may Logic guide you in your studies. Does anyone have anything to say?"

A man in a gray mantle stood up. "Master Koushiro, I do not agree with her line of thinking."

Koushiro nodded to him. "Anyone else share his opinion?"

Several more scholars stood up. A girl rose angrily and announced, "Phinen is correct!"

Another scholar got up and countered, "I think that she's not. Those wastes of parchment were written by crackpots!"

Pretty soon, the debate got under way. 

Koushiro sighed and leaned back in his seat, trying to get comfortable. The people in Tentorelle were excellent researchers, marvelous academics and extremely patient. Unfortunately, this patience resulted in long windy debates and speeches, most of which were pointless. By the looks of things, this one would be twice as long and windy.

He and Iori exchanged a cursory glance.

This would take a while.

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_PPPPPHHHHHSSSSHHH…_

Jyou silently regarded Gomamon as he came out of the air lock. The two of them were surveying the waters of the area which had collapsed four days ago. It had taken them a while to convince the Empress that they would be safe out there. There had been visible signs of the intruder's leaving for the surface, so it wasn't very likely that he'd come back down to kill Jyou just for the sake of it.

Jyou didn't really understand why he so desperately felt the need to explore the ruins with the investigators. He was certain that they'd do a thorough job of inspecting the ruined areas for pointers on why the place collapsed. There were some doubts among the people about whether or not there really was an intruder. Perhaps there was some laxity in maintaining the diastone walls of the city?

Jyou highly doubted that. He was required to know everything there was about maintaining the walls, the defense mechanisms of the stones itself and everything else as a prince of the Kingdome. And now, since his brother Shin died, he would have to know more. The histories and substances used to create such powerful defenses. There was almost nothing that could break through the walls. Nothing except that which had just did.

And Jyou was determined to find out exactly what it was. Perhaps that was why his urgings to survey the area were so strong. He was soon to be the Emperor of Gomatelen. He would need to know everything about defense in order to protect his people. That was the reason why he continuously dreamed of the site, thinking to reason how this creature had broken through their omnipotent walls. He knew there was something he had to find within the wreckage. Something important. That was all. Nothing else…

Right?

The two of them swam through the wreckage, raising their arms in recognition to several of the workers there. The workers were searching the wreck for the same reason they were. There would be no survivors to be found here for if they didn't die because of the pressure, they wouldn't last long enough to be saved by the search parties. They each wore the customary flippers and trunk-like masks made out of genxoy moss. Jyou himself wore a suit like that, but his was also powered by a little machine given to him by his desert friend, Daisuke.

Daisuke was an inventor from the Tribe of Fladrakis in the desert of Agunatra. He came to Gomatelen because nobody in his tribe respected his ideas and little machines. He decided not to go to the mountains of Knowledge, partly because of the age-old enmity between his Kingdome and theirs and partly because he knew that Gomatelen would have more use for his creativity than the stuffy academics of Tentorelle.

Gomamon easily swam beside his partner. Jyou gave him a quick glance, making sure that he was still there. Gomamon was notorious for swooping of during one of their swims and coming back, dragging bundles of fish wrapped in ropy seaweed. A utilitarian habit, but hardly necessary. Gomamon could hardly afford to disappear now, as these waters might be dangerous, although it was reported that that which had lain ruin to a part of his home had escaped to the upper world.

The seal-like Digimon looked back at him, his round eyes telling the prince that he would not stray. Reassured, Jyou returned his concentration to swimming. He scanned the blue sea, though it wasn't so blue anymore, now that some great evil had passed through, leaving not only a trail of devastation behind but also infecting the waters with its mere presence. The waters weren't as blue as he remembered, nor as clear and pure.

Jyou sighed inwardly as he surveyed the wreckage. The bodies they had found were already brought into the rest of the palace city. It was a horrible sight to see the destruction to his home. The people from Gomatelen were fiercely protective of their homes, which was one of the reasons why they were best for the defense of the east. It was something not known to the rest of the continent because of their usually mild demeanor.

It was not often when disaster would strike the fabled city of Gomatelen and when it did, its toll was expensive, as it was shown by the ruins of the outskirt sectors. Many had died, both Digimon and Human partner. Only less then ten times had the enchanting city of glass and spires been attacked and worn to rubble.

He and his Digimon silently swam through the floating debris, searching for clues to anything that might give them indication of what went wrong. Their eyes swept the ravaged bottom of the ocean. There were no signs of life anywhere near here at all. The seaweed, once beautiful and lush, was dry and dead, clinging absently to the ground it could not touch. There were bodies of dead fish starting to float up toward the surface.

Even the sand felt something when the creature had destroyed the city of Gomatelen. It was no longer bright white and yellow but dull and forlorn gray in many great patches, unsightly to any eye. Jyou felt his heart rend at the sight of it.

The City of Gomatelen was connected to the sea. It was a part of the sea, the life of the sea concentrated in one place. When the sea would be polluted, the city would feel it too. In this case, the sea mourned the loss of the outskirts of Gomatelen. She had created the city with such care.

Something suddenly caught his eye. He gestured to Gomamon and dove deeper into the waters to investigate. The pressure here increased, though he was protected by the strange effects of the genoxy moss. It was a very handy species of underwater vegetation. Gomamon had no problem with pressure; it was one of the things in the water that couldn't affect the Digimon of his species at all.

Jyou and Gomamon drew nearer and saw it. It was barely visible underneath the rock it had fallen under; something helped much by the sand covering most of it. There were some signs of the fast-growing seaweed called Seaman's Spread already beginning to cover it. They reached it and saw it for what it was.

It was a large shard of diastone, much bigger than Jyou himself. It measured a possible eight feet sideways. It was hard to see through the mask, but he could see one thing that was much more important than the size, the seaweed or the sand: 

There were several large gashes searing through the center.

Jyou and Gomamon recoiled when they saw it. A dreadful fear ran through their bodies as they looked at it in horror. The slashes across its face looked angry, furious even, but what struck fright so close to their hearts was the dark feeling which emanated from it. It was an evil sensation, a feeling of darkness and death to life.

They exchanged an alarmed glance and in one silent agreement, they raced back towards the air lock, not looking back. This news would have to reach the Emperor immediately. It might not have seemed so urgent, but the thing was this:

Whatever had slashed through the walls of Gomatelen was had the claws to do them in one single stroke.

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The bald legionnaire who was a member of the Reliability Corps sat down. He was the messenger from Gomateen.

Sora sat through the conference silently, listening. Although it may not have seemed so, she was worried about the news report. It was the custom of their kingdom not to show emotion, although they were the Kingdome of Love. Indeed, to outsiders, the people who lived in Biyoara seemed quite stony and indifferent to each other, but that was only in view of outsiders. To each other, the Biyoarans were quite emotional with each other, developing strong bonds with even the most introverted person.

Of course, her training wasn't so good that she couldn't help sneaking looks at the delegation from the great Tree of Wormtii. There were several of them and they were all extremely pale-skinned from living in the Tree with only the plants and stones for light. The youngest one was a boy, perhaps a few years younger than she was. He had pale regal features, and she knew him, even though he was a Wormtiine. Several years ago, there was a festival in which they were invited to and she and Terran entertained the young Prince Ken. She rather liked him and hoped he remembered her.

The delegation from Kindness was there because of an ancient treaty forged eons ago. The treaty had stated that they were kinsmen, the Biyoarans and the Wormtiines and to consult together in the Biyoaran forest should any urgent matter which concerns the entire land appear. 

The commission was so dignified and noble that Sora felt completely out of place. She wondered why she was invited to sit in at the council. She didn't have anything to offer; she knew nothing of prophecies and war. She often fidgeted in her branch seat and looked around, amazed at the royalty.

The King of Biyoara stood up again and she forced herself to overcome her nerves and listen. Biyomon glanced at her and Sora saw that she was also uncomfortable with all the finery of each guest. Both of them looked disheveled and mussed. 

If it was any comfort, though, the Crown Prince of Biyoara and his Digimon was also looking as messed up as they were.

"My kinsmen of the forest," he began, his regal voice soaring over the clearing. "We have heard the news of the world and sorrowed, for it seems that darkness once again chooses to rear its twisted head in an attempt to disband the peace we had so long cherished. I believe that we must consider the possibilities of war seriously." He nodded to Terry. "Tomorrow, we leave to go north to the desert to the City of Light. We must make haste, for evil does not wait for the good to catch up to its foulness."

Sora felt a pang. She had never been separated from Terry before. She and Terry went everywhere with each other. People sometimes thought that there was romance going on between them but whenever they thought about it, the idea seemed wrong somehow. Besides, they knew each other too well as best friends and would remain nothing less and nothing more. A glance at him told her that he too was afraid of being away from her. Their eyes met and her lip trembled and she bit it furiously to stop herself from crying, looking away. She was a brave girl who hadn't cried in fifteen years.

Biyomon cheeped a sound of distress softly. Sora moved her hand down and rested it upon the pink bird's head. They shared a glance of sadness.

The King continued, "We hope that all of you bode us well on our journey and thank you for expressing your opinions with us." They recognized it as a cue to take their leave and everyone leaped nimbly off their branches, even the Wormitiines because they were all people of the trees. Sora did, too, stumbling a little towards the exit along with the steady stream of people. 

"Sora, Biyomon, wait!"

Sora turned around and saw Terran's red hair through the crowd. She smiled. Perhaps he knew she wanted to go. She was positive he did. Could he use his excellent bargaining skills to win the King over to her side? She stepped aside and let the tide of people pass by her. She waited as he and Elamon caught up to her.

Panting, he said, "You know, I'm your prince, so why didn't you obey my order?"

She shrugged, fighting back tears. It would be so _empty without her best friend. "I did. I waited for you."_

Terry rolled his eyes and said, "Well, anyway, father wants to have a word with you."

She nodded, not daring to hope, and followed him back top the tree in the center of the clearing. There, upon the majestic branch seat sat the King, looking right out from a fairy tale with his regal splendor. On the branch to his right was the sharp looking King of Wormtii. To the left sat the Prince Ken. 

Idly, to avoid jinxing her hope, Sora wondered why he had such a plain name. She was the daughter of a minor noble but her real name was Soraiallin Mayileirr Kagami. Terry's was Terran Kellorres Lenteirr Takenouchi. His was simply Prince Ken Ichijouji. The Ichijouji was a mouthful but his Ken was too plain for a prince.

She curtsied deeply to the three monarchs and straightened, wondering why they had summoned her out. She searched their faces for anything that might give them away but their faces were expressionless as they looked at her. Ken looked as clueless as she did, though, and Terry was perceptibly puzzled, though she didn't look at him. It was like that sometimes. The two friends were so close that they didn't need to look at each other to see how they felt.

There was a short silence, and then King Ichijouji shook his head, chuckling. "I can't believe I missed it before, Takenouchi," he laughed, looking from Terry to Sora. "It's so obvious but I never put two and two together."

"You weren't supposed to," Terry's father said solemnly, though his eyes were amused, if not exasperated with the King sitting next to him. It appeared that they had discussed the matter several times.

"What do you mean, father?" Terry and Ken asked at the same time then grinned at each other. Sora smiled inwardly. It appeared that they still hadn't forgotten each other either. That was good.

"Hello, Sora," Ken then said to her. She curtsied again and smiled at him. He had grown from the little boy she used to take swinging with her down the cliffs. He would be difficult to carry now that he was quite taller than her. She chuckled at the mental picture.

Terry looked at her strangely then turned to his father. "What is this, father?" he asked the King. "Are we taking Sora with us when we go to Angewotep?" The tone in his voice was clearly begging for her to.

The two Kings glanced at each other then King Ichijouji nodded. "In a way, she's supposed to go with us."

Sora was baffled but she didn't say anything in her joy. She was going with Terry to the City of Angewotep! "Thank you!" she exclaimed happily. She curtsied again, this time too quickly that she almost tripped over her two feet. Her cheeks were burning but she didn't care. She wasn't going to have to swing through the forest without her friend!

"Careful, Sora," King Takenouchi said to her. This sort of stopped her excitement. He never called her Sora. It was always Soraiallin. She gaped at him, thrill gone. What was really going on? Come to think of it, why was she being invited to go, anyway?

Terry cocked his head. He also noticed the difference. "Father. You're not telling us everything."

King Takenouchi sighed. "Yes, Terran. You are right. There are things that I am withholding from you that you need to know before we set off to the Kingdome of Light. None which shall be said here will be heard by others, for it is a deep secret in which we all partake." He glanced at King Ichijouji, who nodded encouragingly. It suddenly occurred to Sora that they were cousins, or at least, distantly related. They both looked slightly alike.

She returned to listening again. "And you need to know it too, Ken. I know you're a boy who can keep things to himself." The King of the Grand Forest of Biyoara paused, searching for the words. "Seventeen years ago, my dear Telniniel was with child." Sora recognized the Queen's name and bowed her head with respect. The Queen was very close to Sora, and for some reason, she treated Sora like her own. At the moment, she was sick and unable to attend the meetings. The Queen of Kindness was with her, for they were good friends, thanks to the forest's proximity to the Great Wormtii Tree.

"So when her time came, we all hoped it was a boy because only men can rule the throne of Biyoara, according to the Great Goddess Xylia, Goddess of the Forest and Deity of the Song. A little puzzling, coming from a Goddess, but it is not man's place to question the will of the Gods."

"And you did get a boy," Terry put in. "Me."

The King looked at him for a long time, eyes somnolent. "Terran. You are my son. A Prince of this Kingdome. But you are not my first child."

Terry's face suddenly paled and he took a step back. "What?" His voice was barely a whisper. Ken looked startled. Sora wondered why she needed to know this and thought that maybe she overstayed her welcome. She began to inch away from the throne.

"Stop, Sora," the King said. "You need to hear this also."

Terry's face was surprised, but there was a searching look in his crimson eyes. He looked at his father and at Sora. For some reason, understanding dawned upon his face, but he was still pale and shaking.

"Terry, are you all right?" Sora asked worriedly.

"Go on, father." His voice was surprisingly steady.

The King never looked more world-weary. "It appears that my son has understood. Well done, Terry." He shifted in his seat to look at Sora. "Sora. Do you know who my first child was? Do you know who the real heir to my throne is?"

Sora was about to answer that she didn't know when she thought about it. Why did he think she knew? She was popular among the girls, but she knew very little boys her age but Terry. Why would he be asking her to stay when he announced that Terry was not the true heir? The Heir which the Prophecies spoke of? And why was she supposed to go to the City of Angewotep?

Why her?

But could it be…? 

She felt strange. It was all hazy. She was always nervous when she spoke to the King but now, all around her was pure calmness. The notion…it felt right. All seemed complete and whole when she thought about it.

She looked up at the King, chin firm, looking far more regal than a queen raised so ever did. Her eyes didn't have their usual spark, but they glittered with confidence and promise. "Me. I am the Heir to the throne of the Kingdome of Love, the Turning of the Heart to the Sun."

Somehow, she knew that she had spoken the correct words and felt at peace. It was correct. She was startled. Her? The Heir? The future Queen?

The King Takenouchi looked sad yet proud of his daughter. Indeed, she had the pride of the unbroken bloodline of the Takenouchi line. King Ichijouji looked at the girl, approval and respect in his eyes. Terry's expression was unreadable but Ken's was visibly startled. 

"Yes, Sora," her father said. "You are my first child, a daughter fit to rule a kingdom but not allowed to. I saw it in your eyes the moment I held you in my arms that you were destined for greater things. Yet, at that time, it was a decision of either killing you then or hiding you in the arms of a lesser noble. But even at the first sight of your face, we knew we could not kill you for your whole life lay before you. Therefore, we stole in the middle of the night to our good friend the Viscount and entrusted you to his care. When we returned, we found that your mother had given birth to another child." The King looked at his son. "Terran. We rejoiced, but our hearts were low, for we thought that never would our son see the face of his older sister. 

"We were wrong, though," he chuckled. "Little did we know that as soon as they could walk, they ran right into each other, each one a mirror of the other, for you two looked almost exactly alike. Hence the name Kagami, the mirror."

He stepped down from the throne and took his daughter's hand. "Finally, I may look upon my daughter's face as a father and take her hand as a father may take his daughter's own. I am proud to do so, for she has grown beyond what I had expected: from a laughing child to a better woman. And although we met often in the past, we were never as family, and now that the truth has been revealed, I exult with all my being; I celebrate with my heart. My family is complete again!"

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Yamato was slightly startled and more than a little irritated as he left the conference room. He was going to have to leave Garurunil and enter the hot lands to the south. At least his cousin Istas and his friend Nieve were going with him. He was glad not to suffer alone.

He was also thrilled to meet his younger brother for the first time. Takeru was a good-natured lad, a prime example of the personalities of the people who belonged in the Kingdome of Hope. The People of the Ice were more distant and held themselves aloof. But they were not contrary to their names, the people in the Kingdome of Friendship. They were mostly hard to make friends with, but when a foreigner _did manage to get past the icy exteriors, their friendships always spanned eons, although their lives wouldn't._

Before they left the beautiful ice lands of the north, Yamato and his father went out to the snow to read the Aurora, accompanied by no guards. Their Digimon were quite enough protection to defeat any roaming monster the ice hid. They didn't take Takeru along, not to exclude him but because he knew nothing of Aurora Prophecies.

Loping along on his Garurumon, Yamato glanced at his father, the King of Winter. He cut a striking figure upon his majestic ice dragon. He and his Digimon were perfect examples of the soul bond which joined Digimon and human souls together, giving them each emotion the other felt and every awareness possible.

Garurumon dimly felt his partner's admiration and turned his head slightly back to grin wolfishly. He wanted Yamato to know that they would be like that one day. Matt grinned back at him and said, "No, we'll be better." Yamato looked around. Where did his father go?

Suddenly, right before them, the ground abruptly ended and there was a deep fissure spreading far. Garurumon leaped over it easily and landed on the other side, a snow covered area…just as he realized it was ice. 

Skidding and sliding, the Digimon let out a series of Ice curses. They skidded far down the lake…which happened to be connected to a waterfall going down.

"Jump!" Yamato cried, and together in mind, they leaped to the right, managing to scramble onto an outcropping wall of rocks—which just happened to crumble underneath their weight. For the first few moments, Yamato could see nothing but blurs of white.

Laughing, the wolf let out a howl of fierce joy as they bounded down the wall, skirting around falling rocks and pebbles. No stone ever touched Garurumon's back. Yamato also crowed out triumphantly as they landed upon the icy banks. They stood there, trying to get their breath back.

A slight rumbling sounded behind them and Yamato's father appeared, perched high upon the Ice Dragon's back. "Lovely dancing," the King called down. "If only the dancing instructor could teach you that way."

"Why bother learning Southern dances?" Yamato replied. "The dances of the North are far more graceful and meaningful than the mindless patterns of the kingdoms to the south." His voice had a little sneer in it.

"Patriotism is well enough, my son, but we must also learn to respect the customs of the kingdoms we share the world with." His father's voice was stern.

Yamato was familiar enough with reprimands to recognize this one. "I understand, father."

"Do you?"

But before Yamato could answer, the dragon sped on toward the lake which the waterfall opened into. 

Garurumon glanced once at his partner then said, "You should listen to your father." 

Yamato sighed and held on as Garurumon plunged down after his father. When they arrived at the Aurora site, the King was dismounting and striding towards the shimmering curtains of rainbow light. He followed suit, trailing after his father.

As he reached his father's side, he was once again overwhelmed by the singing colors of the Aurora. He wasn't as adept at 'reading' the Aurora as his father was yet, but he could manage the basics. He heard danger and read in his heart that great and evil things were coming.

"Learn, Yamato," the King said.

Yamato closed his eyes and softly whispered, "Aurora, ang magandang ilaw ng kulay sa Langit ng mga bituin, tulungin niyo po kami at sabihin sa amin ang iyong mensahe upang makaintindihan namin ang kailangan naming gawin…"

He felt his father nod approvingly.

Out of the blue, the 'words' came in a torrent. A wind which wasn't really there whipped their furs around in a dizzying frenzy. This was wrong. Yamato glanced at his father, their eyes mirroring each other's worry. 

_'Listen,__' his father mouthed to him. Yamato nodded and turned his face to freely confront the gale which howled loudly through their minds._

He kept his eyes open, reading the colors, most of them unidentifiable, and at the same time, he also listened to the ancient language singing in his mind with the screaming gust in his ears.

_'Heirs…come together…final battle to open sea…what of light?...light master…tool sick…dying…helped by master…smart…flatterer…knowledge? What of…home walls…seeress pictures inscriptions…hidden prince…princess…at last…contraptions of desert…sea…death across...no, no…little girl…darkness…come across sea…open declaration…death…traitor…keys inside…evil searching…circle of face…no fail…silence…who will win?'_

It went on and on. Yamato was able to easily commit it to memory—this ability came with his ability to read the Aurora. The sun began to rise, proving that they had been standing there for hours, watching and listening to the Aurora. They had been standing enraptured in the beauty of the light dances and hearing the sweet melody underneath the wailing racket pounding in their minds.

Soon enough, the King lowered his head from watching the Aurora as the light play began to die down with the rising of the weak sun. There was a weather-beaten look to his face. It appeared that he had been able to read far more than Yamato could.

"We have read enough, my son." His voice was quiet. "This morning, we return to the palace and make ready to leave for Gomatelen." (A/N: By the way, they aren't weary from lack of sleep. Call it Aurora Author magic) "Will you be ready?"

Yamato nodded. "You can count on it."

Although he wasn't too enthusiastic about coming down to the hot sticky climates of the south, Yamato was only slightly intrigued to understand what the Prophecy meant. That, of course, didn't mean that he was a willing participant in this.

Not very likely.

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She sighed. It was so different, this burning temperature. She definitely much preferred the nice heavy humidity of the jungle.

They had been traveling for days now. Empress Mimi and several select contacts were going with her to the City of Angewotep. They were traveling the longer way, not through the desert of Agunatra. They would emerge into the cliffs of Botake and soon be free to head straight down to the desert where Angewotep was found.

She glanced to the side and saw Miyako not on her Digimon's shoulders as she was. Hawkmon was walking right next to her. She wished that she was. This foolish display of majesty scared her slightly. She didn't mind riding on Togemon's shoulders but she was unsure that this was the proper way to treat her associates down there. She was certain that they were tired from walking all this way towards the desert.

What would it matter, though? The Head of Committees had insisted it. His name was Goror and he was a large man, in his late forties, and a staunch follower of the Empress who died mysteriously, the one whose supporters had killed her mother. She didn't like to admit it but she was scared of him. He often managed to get his way because she was afraid of his voice. Whenever he would yell, his voice was so loud and booming…

He had grown cocky and even more arrogant, swaggering through the Temple Palace as though it was his own. He wasn't in her list of people who would go with her to Angewotep but he bullied his way in. She hated it. She hated him, but if she had him sent away or executed, *his* followers would probably make a revolt against the throne.

She saw Miyako wave to her from down on the sandy terrain and smiled as she waved back. She quite disliked the way Goror wanted her to display her power and might and make her rise above her friends. She was glad, though, that Miyako understood. She didn't want this power. She didn't want her hair dyed a ceremonial pink. She loved her brown hair color and hated the stars which dangled here and there in her bright pink locks.

They traveled through the burning air of the desert. Soon they would reach the area where the cliffs of Botake would rise and she was told that the air was cooler there. Eagerly, she watched as the scenery ambled by and soon enough, there were the overwhelming cliffs of Botake, rearing high on their stone pedestals of solid foundation.

Togemon whispered, "There's something here." 

Mimi nodded. She sensed something here, too. Something dangerous. She glanced an uneasy eye around as she clung to her Digimon's shoulders. "Do you know what it is?" she whispered back. "It feels dangerous."

"Don't worry, Mimi," Togemon answered. "I'll protect you from anything."

"I don't doubt that," Mimi replied, hugging the part of her cactus friend where there weren't any prickly spines. "You can do anything."

So on they went, walking silently through the soaring cliffs of natural brilliance. The feeling of danger was now growing stronger. The entire party was now uneasy. They were now able to sense that something was not only watching them, it was following them.

But what could they do? They couldn't afford to send any scouts; the fool Goror was stubbornly stupid in areas of tactics and strategy. He didn't want to send anyone out because he wanted to have them all surround him to protect him.

Mimi scowled. "There's a large fool—"

Suddenly, there was a blood-chilling battle cry echoing off the cliffs. Several of her associates who were walking suddenly huddled together. Goror, she saw, was bawling in fear. Weakling. She noticed that Miyako had her Digivolving device at the ready. She was glad. At least *someone* knew how to keep her head in these sort of situations.

Mimi's shoulders tensed and she cast an eye around, scanning the cliffs for anything unusual. There seemed to be a lot more shadows than usual and she swallowed. Togemon flexed his odd gloves for a few moments, readying his lightning-fast knuckles. 

And then he said, "It's coming."

Abruptly, more howls erupted from all around and screaming black shadows fell upon the band. Several landed on Togemon and he whirled, sending them flying. Mimi leaped off and shook out her whip.

Just because she was a lousy Empress didn't mean that she wasn't raised in the warrior ways of her culture.

Ripping off her veil, she threw it at the face of the dark figure cloaked in shadow. They were smaller than she was, but they were incredibly fast. She lashed out with her whip—a horrid swing, for they were hard to see and catch—and surprisingly, she managed to catch one. She whirled around and flung it at the wall. It dissolved in a flash of sand.

She soon came next to Miyako, who was keeled over by the edge of the cliffs. Hawkmon lay next to his partner, unconscious also. Another handmaiden of their deity hovered worriedly over the form of their High Priestess. "Something's wrong with her," she whispered. "Look at her face, Empress."

Mimi tilted up her friend's face and gasped in horror. Miyako's face was pale and drawn and her normally vibrant eyes were pure black.

"No," she whispered. "Miyako, wake up!" she cried, shaking her friend's shoulders frantically. "Come back!"

She whipped her head around and searched for Togemon. Sand grains were flying everywhere as Togemon continued to finish off each little shadow with his flying needles. She caught sight of him, laying to waste each shadow which he saw. Mimi silently urged him to hurry up and come to her.

Just then, another shadow caught her eye. It was creeping along toward her and to where Miyako lay prostrate and unmoving. She felt furious and sent her whip's end hurtling toward the little shadow. Tears blurred her eyes as she thought of Miyako. Green light flashed before her eyes and she exploded. (A/N: Hehe. Boom.)

"I hate you!" she shrieked at it. "You evil foul miscreant! How could you??"

And although her strike was much off-balance thanks to her tears, the whip suddenly reared up and coiled around the small figure. The figure recoiled and screamed loudly, causing Mimi to go temporarily deaf. She blinked in confusion. A shadow fell upon her.

She looked up and smiled. It was Togemon. 

"Togemon," she whispered. "How many are hurt?"

Togemon glanced around. "Lady Tarsako was wounded by Goror's foolishness and Olinol of the Committee Board was knocked out when he was slammed against the rocks. I managed to nail his attacker before it could do any more damage, though," he said rather proudly. "It was a hard shot, but I managed to get it on the face." He paused. "Mimi, what were those things?"

Mimi shrugged. "Togemon. Miyako is…there's something wrong with Miyako."

Togemon hunched over and took a look. "What happened to her eyes?" he gasped. "They're black!"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Hawkmon has also changed." She showed him the Digimon. His eyes were as black as Miyako's and his feathers seemed unnaturally stiff. "Togemon, we must get to Angewotep. Now."

****

See? 

(Or maybe you don't. *Shrugs* Who cares?)


	4. They Move Into Place

Drat! It appears that I'm NOT dead, after all. Aren't you all annoyed with me? =D

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Yamato had had it with the heat and humidity of the South. A scowl was etched onto his almost-sunburned face as he nimbly leaped down from the back of his father's Digimon. Gabumon followed him, although he hopped down less gracefully, struggling with the heat given to him by his extra fur. They were now in Angewotep. It was a beautiful city, so much room and space to run around, but Yamato didn't feel like running around if it would entail him sweating even more.

It appeared that they were the last delegation to arrive at the splendid golden gates of Angewotep. Yamato would have liked to think that it was because they lived so far up north, but in truth, it was because they had to stop every so often to adjust to the heat.

He was given rooms in the great Palace of Gatoris, though in his opinion, it wasn't as beautiful as the crystal palace of Garurunil. Istas and Nieve were much lower in rank when compared to him, so they were given one room to share down the hall. Yamato was glad that Takeru's rooms were just down the corner. He was certain that he would be deathly bored by the other heirs to their Kingdomes, and was glad that he had his friends and his brother to talk to.

Yamato shrugged into the light clothes provided to him by the servants who prepared his room. As feathery light as they were, his face was still shining with a thin layer of perspiration. Taking a bath hadn't really lessened the intensity of the heat upon his fair skin.

Emerging out into the corridors, he found Istas and Nieve waiting for him. They, too, were sweating slightly.

"It's about time you came out, Beauty Queen," Nieve teased.

"Beauty *Prince*," he retorted. "And where's Takeru?"

Istas answered, "Cousin Takeru is, at the moment, with his acquaintance from the Kingdome of Hope. Akeril, I believe her name is, and Nakeli, the son of the Duke. Our Digimon are, at the moment, exploring the palace. They will be at the hall, though. They seem to know their way around much better than I do." She paused. "It is a little embarrassing that we from Friendship have arrived so late."

Yamato rolled his eyes. "Does it matter? Nothing could happen until all of us got here. If you think about it, our delay gave them a chance to rest."

His cousin sighed. "Let's just forget that I ever said anything. You always turn everything I say to suit your own purposes."

The Prince shrugged in a feigned helpless manner. "What can I do? I'm found to be extremely talented in that area. Perhaps it's my smooth and urbane manner which enables me to converse with utmost ease where others would be perplexed."

Nieve laughed and cuffed him on the shoulder as they made their way down the stone corridors which they thought to be rather confining, at least in the Palace of Gatoris. The Palace of Garurunil was more spacious in their curving ice sheets and soaring tinsels. It was still some time before they would have to appear to the other delegations of the land so they still had time to explore their new surroundings with vigor, at least, for the ever spirited Nieve and the sensible Istas.

When Yamato and his friends turned another corner, they found themselves in a wide hallway wherein a boy their age was arguing with someone who looked far more dignified than any other queen in many ways. 

"Why can't I see her?" The boy wildly gesticulated as he spoke, the pain in his eyes evident to even one as proud as Yamato was. He had extremely large brown hair and wore loose desert clothes but upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were no ordinary desert-wear, for they were of the highest quality. The noble woman was wearing an elaborate headdress upon her head, resting quite well upon her long brown hair. She was a beautiful woman and Yamato instantly recognized her to be the Queen, as she and her handmaidens had greeted them upon their arrival.

The young-looking Queen of Angewotep glanced at the newcomers and smiled graciously. "Not now, our dear Taichi. Have you met the delegation from the Kingdome of Friendship in the ice lands far to the north? This is the Prince of their fair city of Garurunil and his companions. Your Highness, Prince Yamato, this is our son of the Kingdome of Courage, the next Tribal Caller of the deserts to the East."

Yamato nodded his head briefly in respect while his friends curtsied gracefully. "Greetings to you, Your Majesty, Queen of this fair golden city and also to you, Your Highness, Prince Taichi of the desert."

"The correct term is," interrupted the youth, "Heir of the Tribal Caller of the Tribe Greysenai. There are many modes of address, you know."

Yamato leveled his ice blue eyes with the other's light brown ones. "Forgive my ignorance," he said coolly, "but I'm afraid that I cannot forgive yours."

Taichi glared at him then turned back to his mother to give her a reproachful look. "I told you that this wasn't going to work, mother." Apparently, that was his farewell to the Queen, for after giving one last indifferent glance to Yamato, Istas and Nieve, he promptly turned down another corridor and left.

The Queen sighed as she turned back to the other youthful royals. "Please pardon our son."

"Excuse the Prince Yamato, too," Nieve put in. "He's not normally that rude and neither am I this impertinent unless, of course, there is fresh snowfall. I suppose that the heat's getting to us again." She sighed. "I should have stayed another hour in the bath but Istas here kept hurrying me up. It's so hot here."

"Hot?" the Queen asked in astonishment. "The weather today is quite cool and lovely." She paused. "Oh, yes. We remember now." She gave a little apologetic laugh. "We are sorry. We seemed to have forgotten that you come from a much colder climate than we do."

Istas spoke up. "Your Majesty, might I ask about what was His Highness, the Heir of the Tribe Caller of the Tribe Greysenai Taichi discussing with you before we arrived and changed the topic, if you don't mind my asking. He seemed vehemently dissatisfied at your disapprobation. Could this issue possibly concern us that we may extend our help to your son? Perhaps, in doing this, we will have patched the hole your son and my cousin unintentionally made in the fabric of our associations."

Yamato marveled at his cousin's amazing courtesy. He *could* be that eloquent if he wanted to, but he never really had the inclination.

The Queen looked slightly sad as she thought about it. She nodded, the grief quite apparent in her clear eyes as she gazed down upon them. "We trust that you are acquainted with at least a brief and recent history of our person's family?"

It was slightly strange yet oddly comforting to hear the Queen's speech. Her royal bearing was found in her speech when she spoke for herself while speaking for all. It was a little confusing at first, but soon, Yamato got the hang of it.

After trying to recollect everything the King of Garurunil had said to them, Yamato turned his eyes to the Queen and shook his head. "I believe that my father tried to educate us on what to expect but we were too fatigued with the heat to remember, moreover, listen to what he had to say."

She answered, "It's explicable, our young companions. Let us commence at the beginning so that all the baffling particulars will be clear. Long ago, the City of Light lived in ignorance of the roaming nomads of the east. These nomads had only one city, and they called it Agulis. They were the people of the Kingdome of Courage. Many years ago, a traveling band of scientists from Tentorelle and a few from Agulis had encountered the great Tree of Wormtii in the antediluvian forest of Biyoara. There they found the Kingdome of Kindness, and the Wormtiines proceeded to show them more of the world. They introduced to the newcomers the hidden Kingdome of Love, which lived on in each Biyoaran's heart though it has no urban city, for the forest is their home. Also, they were introduced the beautiful Kingdome of Reliability in Gomatelen, rising proud in the waves of each sea.

"At last, they were shown the Kingdome of Light, the city of Angewotep. We are the oldest city in this land, placing the first foundation before Tentorelle even formed in their people. We, for all our scholars and seers, never knew any other kingdom existed. We have had several clues, though. When my ancestors discovered that there was another kingdom right here in the desert, we immediately set out to make an alliance with this kingdom, the Kingdome of Courage. We went away, satisfied. There were ideas if intermarriage between the two kingdoms, and these ideas were put into action, so now we may see strains of Courage in the blood of our people and hints of Light in many of the people from the eastern desert."

"Peace," Nieve drawled. "You gotta love it, especially if it gets you more worshippers."

The Queen of Light nodded, laughing lightly. "Indeed, it may be so. But we must cherish this peace, for we fear that it will be in our grasp no longer. This news will be known to you, in any case, so we have decided now that it may be better for some others to know when we will announce it. We gather that this will not leave your mouths until we tell all the others?" They nodded. Her eyes were grave as she looked at them each. "Our daughter, Princess Hikari, the Heir to the Ancient City of Angewotep, the Kingdome of Light, has been poisoned."

"What?" Nieve cried. "How could that be? I heard that the warriors in the city of Angewotep are fearsome people to be reckoned with! How could someone have let it slip?"

The Queen shook her head slightly. "Silence, our young friend. There are ears all around us. As you said, our warriors are fearsome to be reckoned with. Do you not think that our spies are more formidable?"

But Yamato was thinking of something else. (He already knew about Kingdome intermarriages; he and his brother were examples of one)  "Princess Hikari…why would Taichi want to see her?" He glanced at the Queen. "Tell me, Your Majesty, is Princess Hikari Taichi's sister? Are they kinsmen?"

"Yes. Indeed they are." She smiled wistfully. "Though they have never met, their bond for each other is stronger than we thought possible. So many times has Hikari begged us to allow her to visit Agulis, but never have we allowed her to, for fear for her safety. And now, in our care, she has been struck down by a poison so rare that we fear it is incurable. It is a wonder how she is still breathing, but with each breath, we feel her life slipping away."

Istas bowed and took the woman's hand. There were tears in her eyes. "Your Majesty," she said softly. "Perhaps it would be better to allow Heir Taichi to visit his sister. I wouldn't know what to do if something like this ever happened to my own siblings."

The Queen's eyes were misty as she smiled at the fair-haired girl. "Perhaps." She then looked outside. "My, the sun is sinking fast tonight. The banquet will start soon. We must hurry now or we'll be late."

"We are ready to go, Your Majesty," Yamato told the woman. "If you could show us the way, we could be there in no time."

The Queen nodded. "Let us call our niece instead. She will lead you to the Hall." She looked straight at a statue of a black cat and said, "Felismon, would you please contact your Human? We would like to speak to her."

And to Yamato and his friends' amazement, the statue of the cat stirred and nimbly sprang down from its pedestal. It was a Digimon in the shape of a cat. The cat nodded and turned its head to glance back into the darkness. A girl with shiny black hair was emerging from the shadows. Her eyes mirrored her Digimon's, bright green with a certain cool spark in them. She was clothed in dark robes of the highest quality and her hair was set in an elaborate style. She seemed about their age.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" the girl asked, curtsying deeply. 

"We would like you to take Prince Yamato of Garurunil and his two friends to the Hall. They are ready and we fear they will be received at any moment. How odd it will be if they are not there to be called."

"Indeed, Your Majesty." The girl turned towards the others. "My name is Eleni. If you would follow me…?"

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Taichi was still grumbling to himself as he sat down at the table which he was assigned to. He wore heavier robes this time, for the night was coming. As was common knowledge, the desert became almost freezing at night. His hair was unchanged, for it was too large to be styled into anything else.

Not that he would have agreed to be styled in the first place.

He was so thrilled to be going to the city of Angewotep because it was in his mind that he would finally meet his sister. But then, he found out that his sister was poisoned beyond consciousness and he was not allowed to see her. She was on the brink of death! Who cared about this city's damned rituals?

The Heir to the Kingdome of Courage was quite angry.

He glared at the bright festivities among him. It rather vexed him that the people of Light would still have the heart for merrymaking when their princess was lying prostrate and nearly dead but for some strange phenomenon keeping her alive.

He descended down the stairs rather grumpily into the open-air banquet celebrating the presences of all the Kingdomes of the East. Agumon, his Digimon partner, followed but he wasn't as grumpy as he was sad. He wanted to know his friend's sister.

Taichi and Agumon made their way to the table where they were to sit and sat. There was nobody else sitting there yet, as they were to be announced after them. There were eighteen seats in the high table where they sat, each grand chair engraved with beautiful designs of the crests of each Kingdome for the Heir and his or her Digimon. Taichi wondered who would fill the empty seats of the Kingdome of Light.

Agumon asked, "Taichi, when are we going to eat some Angewotep food? I hear that it's really sweet because they put in lots of yummy milk and honey." (A/N: Ahem, ahem. Land of milk…honey? Canaan reference.)

Taichi replied, "As soon as all the royals are seated." His eyes scanned the crowd, wondering where Alyro and Eredain were.

Soon, another announcement was made and Taichi watched the descending of the Heir from the Kingdome of Reliability, his interest slightly piqued by the Heir's dark blue hair. He had never seen blue hair before. The Heir's name was Jyou of Kido and he seemed to be a mild-mannered youth, a year superior to Taichi's. He looked proper and noble, unlike his cavorting white and purple Digimon with strange spiky hair. As he drew nearer to the high table where Taichi waited to be joined by others, Taichi saw that his eyes seemed to be ringed with dark circles.

After a few moments of wondering, he remembered that the original Heir to Reliability, who had perished in a disaster in Gomatelen, was his brother. Taking his older brother's place was no easy task, Taichi was sure, and, despite his grumpiness, he smiled slightly at the approaching Prince and Digimon.

His Digimon was looking around rather eagerly. He didn't seem to share his friend's slight depression

 "Hello, Prince of Reliability. I'm Taichi. This is Agumon."

He nodded, returning him a much sadder smile. "The Tribe Caller's son from the tribe of Greysenai. I am glad to meet you. This is Gomamon." He them bowed in the odd way his people bowed. He placed his knuckles together and separated them, causing them to face forward palms up and bowed his head over them. In describing their way of paying respect, it does not sound like much, but when the people did it, it was made a beautiful and completely dignified action.

As soon as Jyou was seated in his chair, another announcement was made.

"From the vast and mystical Forests of Biyoara, the Prince Terran Kellores Leinterr Takenouchi and his Digimon partner, the Heir to the Kingdome of Love and to the throne of the Biyoarin life among the trees of the wood," boomed the announcer from his post next to the door.

Taichi and Jyou, who had been conversing about the city, looked up in time to see a timid-looking boy with his bright red hair pulled back in the strange manner of the Biyoaran culture. He wasn't short but he seemed much younger than he looked. By his side was a bright pink birdlike Digimon. The Prince of Biyoara made his way down the stairs rather haltingly and looked around, slightly overwhelmed. 

He and his Digimon didn't know where to go, Taichi realized and stood up, calling the prince over. "Over here, noble Prince. This is our table."

The lad looked around and saw him. He and his Digimon hurried through the court and took their seats. The boy, whose face was elfin and eyes were a deep ruby color, smiled at Taichi and gratefully thanked him.

Taichi laughed, putting aside his anger at the sight of his miserable companions. "It's all right. It's very confusing in this city, though I come from the same desert. My name is Taichi and I'm the Heir to the Kingdome of Courage, son of the Tribe Caller and fruit of the Tribe of Greysenai."

"I'm Agumon!" his Digimon piped up. "And he's Gomamon. Are you a Biyomon?"

The bird nodded. She looked slightly frightened of everything, but remained calm. "I'm Biyomon. The only one, actually."

"That makes you special," Jyou murmured gravely. He glanced at the Prince of Biyoara and extended a hand in greeting. "I am Prince Jyou. From Gomatelen, the Kingdome of Reliability." For a few moments, the Prince seemed to just stare at his hand. He looked confused but reached out and took the hand, gripping it in the wrong way. Jyou winced but shrugged. "So, what are we to call you?"

"Me?" His voice seemed light, almost feminine. "I-uh. You can call me So—ah, I mean, Terran."

Taichi stared at the Prince Terran. He seemed incredibly overwhelmed and panicked to be in the social gathering. He was timidly looking around and remained silent. His cheeks were burning red and he fidgeted in his seat.

Taichi's pity came to him immediately and he wondered if the lad had much training in comportment and regal duties. He seemed to be like a simple country boy who was suddenly thrust into the role of a prince. (A/N: Not that far off the mark, Taichi!) He also speculated whether his teachers had ever told him anything about the Kingdome of Love having parties. Terran didn't seem to be comfortable with the social scene, which was odd, at least for a Prince.

"Have you ever been to the Tree of Wormtii?" he asked, trying to make the diminutive prince more comfortable. "I've always wanted to go there but I never had the occasion to leave the desert before."

Terran smiled. "It's a lovely place there, but the altitude can make one very dizzy. I almost threw up once when I climbed up to the highest branch level with my friend Te—uh, Terry."

"Terry?" Jyou inquired. "Terran and Terry?"

"He's my brother," Terran said quickly. "My younger brother."

"But you said that Terry was your friend," Jyou objected, looking slightly amused. 

"Can't my brother be my friend?" Terran asked, looking slightly flustered by the seeming interrogation. "Because he is. My friend, I mean. We do almost everything together. It's like we're not brothers sometimes and just best friends. Like—"

Jyou held up his hands, smiling gently. "All right, I understand. It's all right." The smile on his face sobered. "I was like that with my older brother, too. We were inseparable for so long." He sighed.

Terran reached out and put his slender hand on Jyou's arm. "I'm sorry, Jyou. I heard that Shin was a great person. Just remember his life with Love and cherish each moment you had spent together with a pure Heart of Sorrow. He was brave and deserving of the ethereal Home Tree of the Forest of Gods and Goddesses."

Taichi realized that it must have been some kind of ritual from the forest of Biyoara because Terran's eyes seemed to shine when he spoke those words. He himself felt slightly more at peace when he heard those words, though he never knew Shin.

Jyou's eyes were slightly teary, but he held them in, as noble as always. "Thank you, Terran."

Terran smiled. "No problem. But are you going to be all right?" Jyou nodded.

Their conversation ended here because another announcement was to be made. As they watched, they saw a girl with bright pink hair appear at the foot of the steps. She was tall and slender and her Digimon was a sort of plant type.

"From the tropical Jungles of Togesanra—"

The girl suddenly turned on the announcer and said some things. The announcer looked shocked but resumed his announcing. "F-from the tropical Jungles of Togesan_tira, Heir of the Kingdome of Sincerity and the Throne of the Temple Palace of Palmera, the Empress Mimi Tachikawa and her Digimon partner."_

The Empress slowly descended down the stairs. Although her clothes were brilliant in color and style, her hair was slightly mussed, as though she had sped through her preparations in haste. Her eyes seemed slightly puffy, like she had been crying.

She reached the table and sat down in her appointed chair. Her Digimon sat next to her, looking just as sad as her Human did.

"Greetings, Empress Mimi Tachikawa," Taichi said. (A/N: I suppose he appointed himself the welcoming party of the Heirs. I certainly didn't do it.) "I'm the Tribe Caller's son, Taichi from the Kingdome of Courage and of the tribe of Greysenai, that's Prince Jyou of Kido from the city of Gomatelen, the Kingdome of Reliability, and over there is the Heir to the Kingdome of Love in the forest of Biyoara, Prince Terran."

Agumon picked up where his Human left off. "I'm Taichi's Digimon, Agumon, this is Gomamon, from Reliability and the bird is Biyomon, Terran's Digimon."

She gave them a wan smile and nodded. "It is good to meet you. I am Mimi and this is Palmon."

"Are you well, Empress Mimi? Empress Palmon?" Terran asked hesitantly. "You both seem somehow unhappy. Is there something wrong?"

"How could you tell?" Palmon seemed surprised. "We're hiding it well, with the best of our learned etiquette."

Terran shrugged.

Mimi glanced at them silently then turned to Palmon, who nodded to her. Mimi faced them again and sighed. "Yes. Something happened to us on the way to this fair city. We were traveling well, though it was very hot in the rocky desert, when we came upon two parallel cliffs facing each other and forming a dividing gorge wherein the path which we were to traverse lay. As we entered this gorge, something strange seemed to be watching us. When we were in the very center, there was a battle cry…" She closed her eyes, then opened them to reveal hardened russet eyes.

"We looked around and saw strange shadows leaping out from everywhere. There were no creatures to cast the shadows however. The attackers were the shadows."

Taichi let out a sharp intake of breath. "The shadows…" he murmured. He glanced at Mimi. "You passed by the gorge, didn't you?"

Mimi nodded.

"That's the way we passed, too," Taichi noted. "And they attacked your party."

"Not only that," Mimi said, her eyes softening with sadness. "They did something to my friend, Miyako, the High Priestess. They say she's recovering, but slowly. I haven't been allowed to see her." Her expression shifted into an angry one. "She's my friend! Why can't I see her?"

Taichi nodded, the wheels in his head slowly beginning to turn. "I know how you feel. They won't let me see the Princess of Angewotep—my sister."

Jyou spoke. "I've heard about that." His face was creased with worry. "She's been poisoned with something strange and deadly but still she lives. Barely. She must have a strong immunity system to poison."

"Excuse me." It was Terran. He seemed very hesitant to speak. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand something. Why _don't they allow you to see your ill people here in Angewotep? I'm certain that none of these problems are contagious."_

"It's their damned rituals," Taichi growled, slamming his fist on the table. "They won't let anyone see their sick because they believe that their god is taking a close hand with them and conferring with them about their lives. That he is actually with them whenever there is light from inside the walls. Nobody is allowed to see that except for the priests and the priestesses, so they let nobody in." He sat back. "It's a foolish idea, if you ask me."

"Not quite. There are many evidences that the Palace of Gatoris is indeed imbued with a divine prescence, which may very well be a god. You may be blaspheming and you don't even know it. Surprising how many mistakes we can make out of ignorance, isn't it? And that's the exact reason why we must strive to rid ourselves of it."

They turned around to see a red-haired boy their age standing at their table in splendid garments, listening. There was also a red bug-like Digimon with him. They stared at him for a few moments until Taichi asked him rather brusquely, "Who are you?"

The boy looked offended for a moment, but seemed to brush it aside. "Mind your manners next time, my dear Tribe Caller. They aren't very becoming, and I'm certain that you know better, as well-bred as I'm sure you are. Or at least, as well-bred as I _hope you are. You'll never know once you get down from the mountains."_

Taichi glared at him. "I don't need an assessment on my etiquette. Who are you?"

He replied smoothly, "I'm the Head of the Council of the Kingdome of Knowledge." He held out a hand to Taichi. "Koushiro Izumi, and my Digimon, Tentomon, at your august and ever regal service."

Taichi looked at him as he grudgingly shook the redhead's hand. "Are you mocking me?" He decided at that moment that he agreed with some of the Tribe Chiefs. The people from Tentorelle were indeed quite haughty and simply very high and mighty. Puffed up with their own imagined importance.

"Would I do that? Now," Koushiro glanced around and bowed. "Empress Mimi Tachikawa of Palmera, Prince Jyou of Gomatelen and…" He cocked his head as he examined Terran. "I'm certain that you're from the Kingdome of Love. You look like Prince Terran, but…"

"I _am Prince Terran," Terran cut in and sat back, looking nervous. "From Biyoara. Nice to meet you."_

Koushiro shrugged and took his seat. "I won't trust those inaccurate files. For now. This is a splendid banquet, isn't it?"

Taichi remained silent while the rest of them (excluding Terran; he seemed somehow exhausted) conversed with each other. Mimi seemed to brighten up a little when they began talking about the people in the room and Jyou (although he still remained as sober as ever) also seemed to be willing to contribute his ideas to the conversation. Taichi watched the dancing people and caught sight of Eredain. He was bowing deeply to a slender, pale-looking girl with blonde hair.

He smiled. He never thought that the solemn young chief would ever ask anyone to dance, or even _dance at all. He supposed that it would make sense to ask __this girl to dance, though. She was beautiful._

Taichi realized that she was one of the three people who he had left with his mother earlier that evening and wondered where the other two were. And as if to answer his question, the trumpets blared out again and the announcer called out to the people, "From the wintry northern ice tundra of Gabuniere and the palace of Garurunil, the Prince Yamato Ishida from the Kingdome of Friendship and his majestic Digimon partner."

They all turned to look toward the stairs. There, descending down the stairs, looking rather bored, was the same person who had unknowingly insulted Taichi's pride. Of course, he probably knew no better because Taichi was simply feeling angry at the world.

Still, Taichi felt slightly irritated with the way the Prince Yamato seemed to look down on everything.

Taichi sighed. It seemed that he would have to hold his temper.

Well…he'd try.

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Sora watched as the blonde-haired Prince approached the table and took his seat silently. His Digimon did the same. She wondered briefly why he seemed slightly irritated. The party was splendid, really, as the Master Koushiro had said. Of course, Sora couldn't really enjoy it because she was almost sick with worry that she'd make a mistake with her act. She was supposed to be her brother, Terran, who was enjoying himself among the crowd, she could see.

She wasn't used to such formal clothes and manners—back in Biyoara, they didn't have so many utensils. She didn't know the proper etiquette, although she was briefed by her parents about how to act. And of course, she wasn't used to pretending to be a male.

Everyone else at the table seemed to wait for a greeting, but none was made until the Empress Mimi said, "Hello, Prince Yamato."

He looked at her and nodded. He seemed to realize that everyone was waiting for him to say something and sighed. "Am I expected to converse with _all of you? That could get very tiring."_

Koushiro spoke up. "Like Taichi, your manners _do need improvement, but I'm certain we're all willing to put that aside, aren't we?" he glanced at everyone. Taichi shrugged, but everyone else nodded. _

As Koushiro made the introductions, Sora sat back and examined the newcomer. He was handsome, certainly, but the look on his face told her that he was a very haughty person. She sighed, wondering when the banquet would end. It seemed that she had been sitting there for hours.

She stared at the large hall they were in. It wasn't exactly a couple of pillars and statues on a big stone floor in the desert, but it was close. It was open air and the cool breeze gently ruffled Sora's trimmed and pulled back hair. The desert was beautiful, she decided, but she still missed the humid forests of her home.

She turned back to her fellow rulers and saw Yamato looking at her thoughtfully. She thought with a sizable amount of panic, '_Does he know that I'm a girl?' If he did, what would happen? Would she be declared unable to rule because she was a girl? _

"Prince Terran," he began. "Why are you so silent?"

She nearly collapsed with relief. She glanced up at him. The look in his eyes was proud and self-aggrandizing, almost mocking. She felt twinges of annoyance. Almost irritably, she retorted, "I could ask you the same question. Why are _you so silent, Prince Yamato?" She almost panicked after saying such rude things to a monarch when she realized that she, too, was one of them, and besides, he didn't seem offended by her impudence._

He laughed, but didn't further continue the conversation. She and Biyomon exchanged a look. Was _he the kind of person they'd have to spend time with?_

She glanced around and saw with some relief that her cousin, the Prince Ken was at the top of the stairs. When he arrived at the table, she gratefully watched him sit next to her. "How are things going, Sor?" he asked her in a low voice which she was certain no one else could hear.

She weakly smiled at him and watched as the introductions among the table were made. When at last Ken had a chance to talk to her, he whispered, "Are you all right?"

Sora said in a low voice, "Get me out of here."

Ken laughed. "Sorry, my friend. We cannot even eat until all the royals are assembled into the hall. Until then, we must strive for patience and mentally urge our fellow sovereigns to pick up their pace."

"I can do that while walking away."

"I'm positive you can, but everyone prefers it if you do it here."

The conversation turned to other things as Sora once again returned to watching the dancing people in the hall. They seemed like they were having fun. Unfortunately, no one could say the same for Sora at the moment. She suppressed the urge to run away and sighed. Who would have thought that being a royal was so boring? Being related to Terry was excellent, for they were almost like brother and sister, but she very much preferred being a simple backyard count's 'daughter'.

Speaking of the real Prince Terran, she saw him sitting with the other lesser sovereigns and chatting gaily with some pretty girl with long dark hair. She was probably a Gatorin. Sora observed them. Terran wasn't eating, though she saw the food ready on his plate. 

Typical.

Seated on much grander thrones and before a much more luxurious table heaped with exotic-looking foods were their parents, the Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses (excluding Mimi and Koushiro, of course. They were heirs to the throne, although theyalready possessed theirs.) They all appeared to be very stately and dignified, although she saw the brown-haired King of Garurunil shooting frequent glances at the food, as if fearing to touch it.

He didn't seem as cool and arrogant as his son did, Sora noticed. And definitely less aloof..

It appeared that all nobles acted differently, so how was Sora to know how to behave if they were all so different and complex? Less gradually now, her fears and worries rose and claimed her for their own. Perhaps she could return the role of Heir Prince to Terran. He knew the comportment and things like that, even if he usually acted like he didn't. She wasn't meant for this role.

She met her mother's gaze and tried to smile (and failed). The King and Queen of Biyoara beamed at their daughter, love and pride shining in their eyes. As she received this love and pride, Sora felt the smile come easier to her lips and knew that at that moment, she couldn't let her mother down. The Monarchs of Biyoara put trust in their daughter.

She turned to look at Terry, who also looked at her at the same time. Simultaneously, they smiled hesitantly at each other. Sora felt hope in her heart. 

Terran had been quiet on the trip to Angewotep, causing Sora some concern. He was her twin brother, and she was also certain that she knew him well enough from childhood to tell that Sora's sudden elevation to Heir to the throne, a position he had been holding until then, might not sit too well with him. She was wondering whether he was mad or indignant with her for that because of his silence.

Feeling a lot more cheerful now, Sora gave Terry a little wave and turned back to watch the next entrance of the final Heir coming in. (A/N: You remember Hikari's unconsciousness? So this has got to be the last. [Unless I'm included!] Argh.)

The announcer articulated, "The Heir to the Seat of Democracy in the Kingdome of Hope's center, the City of Angesdale wherein resides the Palace of Pataru, the Prince Takeru and his royal Digimon!"

A tall, fair-haired boy began walking down the stairs. Sora observed that he was around Ken's age and looked slightly familiar. As he drew closer, Sora could see that he was beaming happily and that his Digimon appeared to be some sort of a four-legged creature with bat ears on his head.

"Yamato!" the prince cried delightedly. "I've been looking for you in the halls, but I couldn't find you. Mother said that you were with your friends, but Akeril and Nakeli wanted to see the sights so we had to go on tour."

The others gaped at him and Yamato, who smiled slightly and said, "We're brothers."

"How can that be?" Mimi wondered.

"It's unpretentious, really," Koushiro scoffed. "Just like the Kingdome of Courage and the Kingdome of Light, the Kingdomes of Hope and Friendship were apparently of the same blood and they've been having intermarriages across the two lands to keep everyone happy."

"It's not that simple," Sora heard Yamato mutter under his breath.

"Of course, my dear Prince."

_CLANG! CLANG! Two people were ringing a gong on the other side of the hall. _

The Gatorin announcer stepped up and bowed deeply. "My Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses, Princes and Princesses, Heirs and all, nobles and common alike, ladies and gentlemen, good evening. At last, we are complete, but for the Daughter of Light who will ascend the throne, for she lies unconscious yet alive in the hand of our Master, the Great God of Light and everything good, Elin, the Divinity who lives in the walls of our Sacred City. Alas, she does not wake up, for this foul attempt on her life has left her on the brink of it, and, as of yet, there are no signs of her recovery and this renders us desolate, for I am certain that you remember the eternally jovial Princess Hikari and her lively escapades through the golden walls of our city. Her mirth and cheer shone through us then, but since her assault and brush with death, the walls of Angewotep and Gatoris no longer appear bright to our eyes and the sands of time inevitably draw closer."

"Windy, pompous and eloquent," Yamato remarked. "Just like a good speech. But who understands his cryptic babble?"

"I do," Taichi growled. "It's not babble."

"Oh, I suppose it's something you grew up with, then," Sora spoke up hurriedly. There was no need for them to be fighting. She could sense the tension between the two. "It's part of your culture, so we couldn't know because we're all from different places. It might also be so complex that it came from long, long ago. You can't expect us to understand that."

"You can expect _me to understand everything," Koushiro declared._

"Everything simmering down now, boys?" Mimi grinned.

Taichi and Yamato shrugged and leaned back.

At last, the announcer finished his long and windy speech and declared that it was time to begin eating. Many people hungrily attacked their food while others seemed to stare at it for a few moments, analyzing its characteristics and wondering what it was.

Sora and Ken glanced at each other and began to eat their feast. The others were already finishing the appetizers. To Sora's surprise, the strange paste actually tasted good. She smiled and continued to eat.

More of the reigning monarchs made lengthy speeches of thanks, of sadness and of cheer that the Children of each Kingdome were all gathered under one roof. Once everyone was well-digested (A/N: Hehe. I can see a picture of this literally, but it's not a pretty one…*gurgles*.), the formal dancing began.

Sora observed the people who were taking advantage of this formal dancing. They all were extremely excellent dancers. The dance seemed to be of no origin whatsoever, but it was one all of the Kingdomes knew. (A/N: The chicken dance?) Sora, for that matter, did not know it.

Mimi was immediately whisked away to dance with the sudden cloud of her admiring suitors while females all sorts gathered around Yamato and Taichi to ask them to dance. Jyou, apparently, was obliged to dance as one of his princely duties, so he left his seat and went into the throng. Koushiro remained in his seat and ignored any attempts of women to lure him out of it.

Looking around, Sora suddenly spotted some women who were making their way for her. There were some strangely predatory looks in their eyes as they stared at her. Sora then realized that she was supposed to be playing a man and began to panic.

This was going to be a long night.

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Ken sat and watched silently as the older Heirs began to be picked off for dancing partners. Well, everyone except for Koushiro and Sora—Prince Terran. Koushiro apparently wanted to have nothing to do with dancing and adamantly refused to recognize the women who were pestering him for a dance. Sora denied each suggestion the women made and seemed almost frightened of them.

Well, it was understandable for her to feel wary—most of the girls here were out to get husbands and, well, Sora was not an option for that. Besides, he was certain that she wasn't a very good dancer, and it would be very awkward for her to be dancing with a girl. Sora, by the way, cut a strangely attractive figure in the man's clothes her mother had modified for her. Ken had to laugh when he saw the expressions of the women who gazed upon his 'cousin'.

Ken sighed. He knew that it wouldn't be long before the girls would turn on him and Takeru. He turned to the Prince of Hope and smiled when he saw that Takeru was pressed far into his seat in a failing attempt to look invisible.

"It appears that you don't want to dance, either," he observed.

"Who would?" Takeru replied. "Those women attacking my brother completely scare the Prince out of me. Suddenly, I'm wishing I were just some commoner's farmhand. This nobility thing is extremely dangerous."

Ken smiled. "It would be pleasing to have no such responsibilities like attending to the needs of boisterous nobles and simpering courtesans and simply collapsing into a bundle of leaves to stare at the sky until nighttime falls."

"But we have an extremely large duty in our hands," Takeru pointed out. "This Heir business has a lot more to its name than its name." (A/N: Hehe.)

Ken nodded. "I believe that the Prophecies had many things to do with it."

"And we're at the very tip of it."

"Agreed."

They fell silent after that and watched as a girl finally managed to drag off a silently screaming Taichi. Yamato appeared to be no luckier. The girls seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Some of them began to search for new partners.

Ken suddenly turned to Takeru. "Takeru. Wouldn't you say that it's about time we went to…uh, talk with our parents?"

Takeru looked puzzled. "Whatever for?"

Ken smiled through tightly gritted teeth. "To avoid the throng, why don't we circle around it and go beyond the dining tables so we can easier evade the people who might want us to do things that we don't want to do?" His eyes gestured towards the suddenly fascinated girls.

Takeru then caught on and took a quick glance to where his brother had once been—it was now overrun with female bodies of all nationalities. He swallowed and looked back at Ken. "Our parents seem to be calling to us. Even if we ourselves are royalty, it would be rude to refuse a summons from the Kings, now wouldn't it?"

Ken agreed and said, "But, of course, we might not even reach our royal parents and instead depart from the area and leave the ball…"

"We may get a sound reproach for this," Takeru mused, "but all is better than this, isn't it?"

The two boys nodded to each other and in a flash, disappeared from their seats to run through the mass of celebrating people. As he looked back, Ken saw Sora being carted off by a woman who seemed slightly older than his cousin. He wished her luck. Sora would be difficult to animate.

"Where are those other two princes?" Ken suddenly heard a girl ask. "The ones who were much younger than that Prince from Biyoara. They were quite handsome!"

They sounded suspiciously near.

"I prefer the dark haired one to the blonde one!!" a deep female voice replied. "So where are they?"

Ken decided to run a little faster.

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Takeru looked around in confusion. Where had he ended up?

Last he remembered, he and the Prince Ken from Wormtii had agreed to escape from the prospect of spinning around the floor with some conniving or brainless woman and dodged their pursuit, running into the crowd. Takeru remembered that the line of the crowd had ended some time ago, though for some reason he kept running.

He had left Patamon behind, but he was certain that his Digimon didn't mind—last Takeru had seen his friend, the Digimon had a pile of Gatorin food heaped up on his plate. He knew then that Patamon probably wouldn't notice that his Human had gone somewhere. If he would, Patamon probably would wonder where his Human was then continue eating.

Takeru, however, put more concern into the matter and wondered where he was, too.

He glanced around. This was still Gatoris. At least he hadn't continued running until the border. 

It was the entrance to a hall of halls built with sturdy-looking yellow stone blocks. He walked down the major hall, noting the one he came from with a special eye. Most of the passageways here looked exactly alike, with all their intricate designs and mosaics.

He walked down a hall and nearly ran into someone who was running out. He stumbled back, apologizing profusely.

"It-it's all right, friend," the other said brightly, although he had practically been knocked down. "I've still got my fingers working. That's all what's important, really. It wouldn't matter if my legs broke, but never the hands."

Takeru glanced at the fellow curiously. He had tanned skin and spiky auburn hair. He seemed of Agulian descent. The other youth looked at him, too, scrutinizing the Prince.

Takeru decided to avoid the guessing and introduced himself. "I am Takeru, from Angesdale. I'm sorry to have collided into you. I meant you no harm."

The Agulian shook his head, laughing. "It's all right, really!" He puffed his chest up. "I doubt that a waif like you could hurt me. My name is Daisuke from the Tribe of Fladraki in Courage. You're the Prince of Hope, aren't you?"

Takeru nodded, choosing to ignore the "waif" part. It probably wasn't meant, anyway. Takeru stood half a head taller than the Agunatran Daisuke. "I don't believe that I've seen you before. Do you belong to the entourage from Courage?"

Daisuke let out another delighted laugh. "That's the funny thing. Actually, I came from Reliability. I'm a mechanic from Agunatra who works in Gomatelen. How strange is that?"

They started to converse back and forth. Daisuke laughed heartily when he heard Takeru's reason of why he was wandering around the halls alone.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how Ken is faring?" Takeru wondered.

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It was morning already.

Prince Jyou of Gomatelen stared out at the bright blue sky hanging over the golden sea of sand. _The seas were never this blue…they were much darker. He closed his eyes. These days, they were much, much darker now that so much death and suffering had polluted the waters. The Mother Sea was still mourning the loss of so much life. It would be some time before the waters returned to their beautiful sapphire blue, reflecting back the rays of the sun on its glassy clear surfaces._

He sighed and sat up from the strange sofa-like canopy bed which was the fashion of Gatorian beds. As he washed (each of the Royals' rooms had their own personal areas for these activities) and dressed, the heavy feeling in his heart grew heavier still. How could his brother be dead? Jyou couldn't imagine life without Shin and his sensible advice. Who would help him out of problems now? In many ways, Jyou felt that a part of his life died along with that of Shin's.

Last night, he felt lost. The ball was grand in many ways, and there were times when he almost felt like himself again. Well, himself _before the destruction of the Ocean's serenity. He admitted to himself that he found the younger Heirs to the neighboring kingdoms rather charming, in each of their little ways. The Empress from Palmera, in particular, had charmed him rather perfectly, although there were times when she, too, seemed melancholy, most probably thinking about her friend the High Priestess._

He smiled thinly and stood up from lacing his sandals. It was too hot in the desert to wear boots. Today, there was going to be a Council among the monarchs. Jyou had a feeling that they would discuss things exceptional and fantastic, like the Prophecy and a potential enemy across the Sea.

When he left his rooms, he saw Gomamon waiting for him, looking fresh and as lively as ever. "Good morning, Gomamon," he greeted his Digimon.

"Hi, Jyou!" his Digimon said brightly. "It's a lovely morning today, isn't it? If I were back home, I'd be floating on the waves and—"

"Getting horribly sunburned," Jyou interrupted, smiling slightly. Gomamon had the tendency to peel, even though he was as furry as, say, a Gabumon.

"Hey, Jyou!" Gomamon exclaimed. "Are you becoming happy again?"

"The meeting will start soon," Jyou replied, choosing not to answer his question, striding down the halls. "We shouldn't be late."

"Whatever you say, friend."

The Council Hall of the Palace of Gatoris was grand, extremely large and, like all other areas in Angewotep, open and spacious. There were many seats carved into rock for spectators, but the seats for the people personally taking a hand in the meeting were carved from marble and heaped with cushions. Each of these had panels with little horns dangling from a hook. These were for calling attention to the rest of the people when one wanted to speak.

Jyou's seat was found up front next to his father's with the other Gomatelenians who were taking part in the discussions (high officials, like General Aes). The rest of the Heirs' seats were also formed in these manners.

He smiled to himself when he saw Taichi dozing slightly in his seat and Agumon sneaking various little treats into his mouth. Yamato sat in his own seat, looking bored and slightly irritated (an expression that he seemed to wear very often, Jyou noticed) while the young Prince of Hope was chattering avidly with a youth his age. The brothers' Digimon were conversing with each other. The Prince Terran sat silently in his marble chair, holding Biyomon's hand, and in a chair near him was another young lad with vibrant red hair that Terran also had. Jyou assumed that the two were brothers, in fact twins, and that this fellow was the Terry that Terran had spoken of the other night. Terran frequently threw glances over to the other Prince's direction.

Jyou was suddenly reminded of the first time he had presided over a royal meeting among the advisers in Gomatelen. He remembered that he was very nervous and that he did the same, always looking to Shin for strength. He closed his eyes momentarily, remembering his wise brother.

He then turned his gaze to the Head of Tentorelle, Koushiro and the Prince Ken. The red-haired fellow seemed to be arguing with another Kabuteric girl, along with his Digimon. Across the room, Prince Ken was comfortably speaking with his Digimon partner in the next chair, although he twitched every now and then with pain from a bruise over his cheek. Jyou then saw the Empress Mimi sitting completely still in her seat, back rigid and staring straight ahead, being spoken to by a large bull-like man. Her eyes seemed sad and weary.

 Jyou's ever-constant grief was swept aside suddenly and he was filled with concern for the girl. Was her separate sadness caused by the ailment of the High Priestess? Jyou wished that she could be spared from such sorrow. She didn't deserve such sadness. (A/N: ^_^) 

"Excuse us," the Queen of Gatoris called to the murmuring crowd. "We will begin the first Council of Nations now."

As soon as the crowd grew silent, the Queen gave a small pained smile. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "Today, we hold the first ever council wherein there are royal representatives from each Kingdome. We am immensely honored that this council is held in the City of Angewotep, the Palace of Gatoris. Our palace is bowed down by all of your presences." She paused. "We are all in awe of each other, we are certain—"

Taichi, who had awoken when his mother called their attention, coughed loudly. The Queen looked at her son sternly and he blushed slightly and bowed his head in apology.

"Awe," the Queen stated, continuing her speech. "Ergo, we do not feel the need to express my entire admiration of each congregation. We all know how courageous and skillful the Children of Courage are, how fair and amiable the Children of Friendship, how intelligent and erudite the Children of Knowledge, how resourceful and practical the Children of Reliability, how caring and benevolent the Children of Love, how gentle and humane the Children of Kindness, how eager and optimistic the Children of Hope, how honest and open the Children of Sincerity.

"We Children of Light, however, do not quite exhibit much of these traits openly, for we are a people who devote ourselves to the Light." She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "May the Light be bestowed upon us all on this day and continue nourishing our lives with its goodness eternally."

This seemed to signal the end of her speech because she then sat down and the Tribe Caller stood up. "Greetings, all," said the man. "We are all suitably flattered by the Queen of Light's humble words, but let us put a lid on our flattery, the Queen demotes herself and her people. Why, wasn't last night a large piece of evidence of their people's gaiety and amazing cooking? I shall be the first to say that the Children of Light aren't simply zealots to the Holy Light. Indeed, they are all devoted people dedicated to life itself!"

Many people applauded him and the Tribe Caller continued his discourse. Soon after, the other monarchs had stood up and said their own separate orations. Koushiro and Mimi made their speeches along with the others, since they were already ruling countries of their own.

As soon as the major clapping died down, the Queen of Light stood up once more, nodding to all the people. "We are glad to have such an attentive audience. It makes the prospect of speaking up much easier." The smile faded from her face. "All proprieties passed, we believe that it is time for us to get down to the important matters. May the Emperor of Reliability please rise to give us an accurate account of their lamentable destruction?"

She sat and Jyou's father stood up, his face grave. "A week ago, an enormous percentage of the outskirts of our underwater city was torn down. What caused this enormous level of destruction? All it takes for an avalanche may be a little pebble, falling down in the wrong place and setting of the destruction, but in our case, the little turn-point stone was thrown into place by a mysterious hand." He then turned to Jyou, his eyes full of sadness. "This hand was the cause of much death. The Mother Sea still grieves its loss."

Shin's image suddenly sprang into the solemn Prince's mind and he closed his eyes, feeling the tears blurring his vision. He must not cry in front of the audiences of the world. When his unshed tears finally disappeared, Jyou opened his eyes and saw that his father had continued talking.

After the Emperor's report, Koushiro stood up and blew his horn to get attention. "Excuse me, Emperor of Gomatelen. I'd like you to know that you have my condolences. We people of Tentorelle sympathize with yours for we ourselves have once experienced a horrible landslide, burying half the Kabuteric West. However, I would like to ask your Imperial person a question which I am certain many others also have asked in their minds. Do I have your permission?"

"Certainly."

Koushiro nodded. "Thank you. What makes you so certain that this incident and the others we will encounter in the future are events dictated by prophecies? The Prophecies of the Ages, in particular. Certainly, some events might hit the mark, but what is the indicator that war is heading towards us in a straight line and that this line is dictated in the sayings of a blind seeress whose entire life, if I am correct, was spent illiterate and in isolation?"

"That is part of the miracle, Koushiro," Jyou's father answered. "One day, a hermitess emerged from the mountains and began speaking to the people with a strange tongue which only the priests could understand back then. It was the language of God, or so they said. And then, when they had listened to her for a day or so, she was given a quill and some animal skin paper to write her sayings. The people then were always on the lookout for prophets. That's when they found out about her illiteracy."

Then continued the argument Jyou was certain had been passed around each Kingdome council on the validation of the Prophecy. Eventually, they got around to discussing the Prophecy itself. 

"There will be a trip across the ocean to the sea," said the young Kabuteric girl Koushiro had  been arguing with. "A journey across the vast ocean to the continent we all know nothing about."

Jyou thought that it was rather amazing that a Kabuteric girl admitted that even her glorious Kingdome of Knowledge lacked some in any department. Apparently, so did a few others because one could hear gasps of surprise echoing all over the room.

"The voyagers will not be well-seasoned sea captains but for the Gomatelenians, who we all know are able water-goers," the girl continued, "but the Heirs to each of their thrones and several special others involved with the Prophecy."

There were shouts and protests at this. The Queen of Angewotep stood up and had to sound her horn several times until the uproar had died. The arguments were heard out and protests rang out every other comment. In the end, they all agreed that nothing would happen until they found a mode of transportation that could carry them even halfway into the immeasurable ocean.

All in all, Jyou mused, a typical Council wherein absolutely nothing was done and much time was wasted.

*              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *                Yes, I know that it's honking long, but I've decided that many-chapter stories aren't good for my fingers' health. In a way. You know what, just forget that I said anything, 'kay?


	5. An Awakening of Sorts

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Koushiro opened the doors and looked around. There seemed to be no one around. He smiled. He knew that any more people bowing and saying, "Yes, your Exaltedness, what would you need, your Exaltedness?" he would go completely insane. Normally, Koushiro bathed languidly in the attention received, but at the moment, he was quite irritable. Today's council had gotten absolutely nowhere. Lack of productivity in a days work tended to unravel him a little.

Besides, he had no erudite perception of the topic they had discussed, anyway. Koushiro had practically torn the libraries at Tentorelle down searching for any information he might find about the so-called Prophecies of the Ages but he found nothing more than negative comments, never the real information. He didn't believe the Prophecies like Sage Phinen did.

And he would stick his title up his nose before asking her to show him where to find the correct references. It would be almost like admitting defeat. They contended frequently on intellectual issues and found themselves as frequently at par.

So he decided to take a little trip to the libraries at Gatoris. These were the best libraries in the world next to the ones in Tentorelle, although they involved books and scrolls dealing with the arcane—areas the sensible sages of Tentorelle would never touch. Magic and sorcery had no physical evidence, after all, and Koushiro was honest enough, to himself at least, to admit that the Kabuteric scholars were accomplished skeptics, close-minded to the supernatural.

'_Ah, never mind that now._'

Feeling a bubbly feeling surfacing through him inside at the prospect of making a new research, Koushiro stepped fully out of his rooms and into the torch lit hallways. He scoffed at that. Clearly, the Gatorians have never heard of electricity. This was all too primitive.

The red-haired Council Master walked down the passageways in the direction he hoped the libraries could be found. He hadn't had the time to explore the palace since he arrived so he didn't know his way around. As he strolled along, he began to hear some sounds coming from the corridor to the left ahead of him. He wondered whether to dismiss them as simple unimportant sounds. Perhaps it was only a guard making his or her rounds.

But the sounds continued on. Koushiro suddenly recognized them as the voices of some very familiar people.

He peered around the corner and his suspicions were confirmed. Koushiro stepped out and said in his most self-aggrandizing voice, "And what might all of you be doing, prowling around corridors late at night?"

The Tribe Caller's Heir, the Empress of Palmera and the young inventor fellow from Courage jerked up in surprise at Koushiro's sudden interruption. They had been speaking to each other in low voices at close council.

"Koushiro!" Taichi exclaimed.

"That's 'Master' Koushiro to you, Tribe Caller," Koushiro corrected. "Now. May I be permitted to know what the three of you may be plotting? An open insurrection against your own crowns, perhaps?" He laughed at the thought. Only idiots would do so.

"Plotting?" the inventor, Daisuke, yelped. "We're not plotting! We're just—uh, chatting. Yeah."

Perhaps these idiots weren't so far off.

"Certainly," Koushiro drawled, finding entertainment in Daisuke's suddenly frantic answer. The lad had been smooth and wry in their last meeting—Koushiro had met him when he set out to see the inventor's quarters. Apparently, not now.

He suddenly noticed a few others standing nearby and apart from the three plotters. After squinting for a while in the dim light of the flickering torches and mentally cursing the lack of electricity in the City of Angewotep, he was surprised to discern their faces. Prince Ken of Wormtii, the Emperor's son, Jyou of Gomatelen, the quiet Prince Terran from Biyoara, and, most surprisingly, his young steward, Iori.

He gaped at the young boy for a moment before uttering, "What in the seven peaks of Kabuterin are you doing here, boy? I thought you had better sense than to go about lurking around unlit hallways."

Iori's face turned down and the Prince Terran stepped forward almost defensively. In a hesitant way. "Master Koushiro, do not scold him. He had no choice."

"Yeah," Taichi put in. He glanced at Terran. "And by the way, Terran, don't call him Master Koushiro. We're all of equal rank."

Koushiro huffed slightly at that.

"Anyway," Taichi continued, "Terran, Ken, Jyou and Iori just joined us by mistake. We ran into them when we passed the banquet hall and had to take them with us."

Koushiro suddenly frowned, seeing where this was heading with the aid of his supremely high intellect. (A/N: *Guffaw* We all love Izzy, anyway) He took a step back. The Empress of Palmera slowly stepped forward, smiling cheerily. "You'll have to go with us too, okay?"

His frown grew deeper. "I don't quite want to. I have better things to do than to haunt the hallways lit with choking torches. All of this palace would be a fire hazard if stones were quite flammable."

"Luckily, they're not," Taichi quipped. "Either way, you're going with us." He clapped his hand on Koushiro's shoulder.

Koushiro rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Barbarian."

"That's right," the Tribe Caller said good-naturedly.

Ken turned and looked down another corridor. "I think we can go this way."

Koushiro remembered that the Prince Ken was a tracker at heart, and so was Prince Terran. He supposed that the lad would have explored the palace thoroughly. 

He shrugged out of Taichi's grip. "Why should I go with you? You do not have the authority to command me, as equally ranked as we are," he said, putting a sarcastic edge to the 'equally'. "Besides," he added. "I've no idea what the point of this childish night trip is."

"That's right," Jyou murmured. "You don't. And that's why we are wasting our time. Morning will be upon us in a few hours."

"So what's the point of this venture then?" Koushiro nearly screamed. What were they getting at?

Prince Terran spoke up again, his soft voice reaching the red-haired Master's ears. "The Tribe Caller wants to see his sister in the healing catacombs."

"Touching," Koushiro remarked.

Daisuke cleared his throat. "All of this said and done, I still understand that you will be going with us." He seemed to recover his urbanity, though Koushiro wasn't certain whether the boy's wheels were all running in the same direction. The Agunatran actually believed that he could order the Master of Tentorelle around? "What's more, I hear that the Princess is really pretty."

"You're not laying a single finger on her," Taichi growled.

As they began to walk down the corridor Ken had pointed to, Koushiro sighed irritably and fell in step with Prince Jyou. He was the eldest here; therefore he could assert the most authority.  "I can see that you are a wise fellow, Prince Jyou—or at least, smarter than the Tribe Caller, but why did you agree to this foolish excursion?"

The Prince smiled slightly. "Foolish, is it? Well, it may be to you, I suppose."

"Is it not a fruitless endeavor to you?" Koushiro demanded. "Or do you seem to find an ounce of meaning to this little side adventure?"

Jyou's slight smile did not falter. "Indeed. An ounce, Koushiro. Maybe even more than that."

Koushiro felt a great deal of astonishment at the Prince's soft proclamation. "Do you mean to tell me that you agree to this folly? The girl can hardly twitch to the bitterest tasting tea leaves!"

Jyou's eyes were unreadable as he spoke: "Having lost my own sibling, I realize now more than ever the importance of a close family bond. Though my brother is gone from me now, the Tribe Caller's bond with sister is still possible. I will do all that I can to help others come to the same realization."

"You have my condolences," Koushiro murmured, feeling it more now than the first time he had said it to Jyou, for the aching simplicity in the older lad's words. "But why now, when the girl is poisoned to the point of eternal oblivion? How could he bond with a silent girl?"

"It would be good for Taichi to see her although he may not speak to her," Jyou told him. "If we give him that, it would satisfy him a little." He then grinned. The smile looked strange on Jyou's face, for Koushiro had always seen it so formal and sad. "Besides," Jyou remarked in an unnaturally pleasant manner. "Miracles may happen. Who knows?"

Koushiro sighed. "You're a lost cause." He heard a change in the tone of the voices ahead and looked up. "What's going on up there?" he called up. "I demand to know immediately. What have you done now? Honestly!"

"Will he ever get off our case?" he heard Daisuke ask Taichi and Koushiro scowled at that.

Iori, who had been walking slightly ahead of his master with the Princes Terran and Ken, turned and said to them, "It seems that the Heir to the Tribe Caller's title, the Empress of Palmera and the Agunatran inventor have encountered somebody along the way, Master Koushiro, Prince Jyou."

"Another unfortunate, I see," Koushiro noted. "Well, let's not dally. Let us go greet our next victim."

They picked up their pace. When they reached the trio, they found themselves staring in surprise at the Ice Prince of the Winter Tundra. Prince Yamato seemed slightly ruffled and quite angry. Yamato and Taichi appeared to be having a clash of words.

Taichi was saying threateningly, "You will be coming with us, Yamato."

Koushiro remarked, "He really needs to attempt changing his opening statements. His charisma needs working on. How on earth could he get people to come along with his merry men if his very words have the undertones of a threat?"

The Prince of Garurunil was lazily leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed. Yamato raised his eyebrows when he saw Koushiro and the rest. "Well, well, well. There are more of you going along with the fellow's crazy plan? It is quite surprising how intelligent people can look on the outside." He closed his eyes, chuckling.

Koushiro felt indignant at that. "If you would excuse my interruption, Prince Yamato, not all of us desired this little side adventure. And I am quite smart!"

"I agreed with you, Koushiro. People don't always look intelligent in outer appearances—that's what I had meant."

"Of course you'd agree with me—" The Kabuteric youth began to say when he paused, catching the hidden insult in Yamato's words. "Are you implying that I _look stupid?" he exclaimed. "Of all the—"_

"Excuse me, Koushiro," Taichi grated. "No one cares whether or not you look stupid. All we know is that you never seem to shut up." He turned to Yamato. "You are coming with us, either way, Yamato. We forced them to go with us; therefore we must express the same sentiment with you. Koushiro made no objection."

Koushiro began, "Actually, being the smart person I am, I—"

Taichi sighed. "Just come with us."

"Where? What if I don't want to go?" Yamato asked challengingly.

"It wouldn't matter if you did," Taichi retorted.

As the two hotheads continued their heated diatribe, Mimi growled in frustration, throwing her hands up into the air. "How much time do we have to waste before we get to the healing catacombs?"

"What would be your reason to partake in this outing?" Koushiro asked her curiously. The Empress didn't seem the type to be adventurous. To Koushiro, she seemed more the type who laid back and let everyone do the work for her while she dropped grapes into her mouth.

Mimi's eyes softened sadly. "I am going on this little outing, as you say, for my friend, the High Priestess Miyako, who had been struck down by some mysterious ailment upon our arrival into the desert."

Koushiro nodded, understanding. "Reasonable enough. Her condition is a strange one."

At last, Yamato irritably relented to come with them. "Yes, fine, I'll go with you fools. Just. Don't. Touch. Me."

They resumed their trek through the dim palace. Yamato walked with them, a little away from the group. Koushiro sniffed slightly at that. The Prince of Ice was exactly that—a prince made of ice. He held himself aloof and in higher regard than to others. No doubt about it—the Prince of the enchanting palace of Garurunil was very impressed with himself and totally unimpressed with others.

(A/N: Just like Koushiro! Apparently, it hasn't occurred to him yet. So much for all that intellect.)

"What were you doing out so late in the middle of the Palace maze?" Jyou asked the pale prince, ever the polite Heir.

Yamato shrugged indifferently. "Just looking around."

"Ah."

The walk continued in silence until Ken announced, "Here we are. This is the door to the catacombs, I think. I wasn't allowed to enter this room but I saw many priests and priestesses heading inside it earlier when I was poking around the Palace."

The group paused in front of the two large doors with two enormous torch dishes glowing on both sides. Both doors were ornately decorated and made to look religiously intimidating, in a way. Koushiro wasn't certain that the way he thought of it was accurate, for the Kabuteric people didn't quite believe in religion, but his interest was suddenly piqued when he saw some symbols carved into the framework.

They were the same type of inscriptions that could be found within the walls of his home in Tentorelle. They were all over the pillars next to the doors, missing pieces to the puzzle of his home. He stared at them, deep in thought.

"Hey, Koushiro! Are you coming or are you just going to stand there gathering dust?"

Koushiro glanced up in surprise. It was Taichi.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll ignore your tactlessness for now. The sooner we get this excursion over and done, the sooner I can go to the libraries."

"You can't," Taichi called back over his shoulder. He was inside the catacombs by now. "If my memory serves me correct, my mother had told me that the libraries were always closed at night." He laughed. "After we see Hikari, though, maybe you'd like us to join you when you break in there."

"I am no juvenile delinquent," Koushiro stated hotly.

"Repeat it over and over again, if it makes you feel better," Taichi laughed and moved on.

 Koushiro muttered a choice oath and followed the large-haired young man into the catacombs.

The healing catacombs of the palace of Gatoris were vast-looking, honey-combed with many tunnels and passageways leading into rooms of quiet solitude. The walls of the catacombs were still decorated with the strange inscriptions of the same ones in Koushiro's home. There were hardly any other people about, and whenever they caught sight of a person, they all were usually unnoticed, surprisingly.

"Must we really do this?" Koushiro glanced at the quiet Terran after a close encounter with a young priest. Luckily for them, the priest simply thought their sounds to be that of rodents and moved on. "Prince Terran, you're a sensible-looking chap. Why in the seven peaks did you agree to this silly adventure?"

Terran hesitated then he answered, "Well, Highness, to tell the complete truth, we stumbled onto the plot quite by accident. We, meaning Prince Jyou, Prince Ken, young Iori and myself. We freely agreed to accompany them, though. In my case, it is because I have heard many stories concerning the Princess Hikari."

"What?" Taichi yelped, overhearing. "What stories? Whatever they are, if they're bad, it's naught but slander against my sister!"

The Prince from the Kingdome of Love smiled gently, looking…strange to Koushiro's eyes as his hair seemed to catch fire in the dim torches like some seraphic deity, but he brushed the thought aside as soon as the Prince spoke.

"There is nothing flying about of that sort. Your sister, Tribe Caller, is predestined to become a great ruler by many who foretell the complete truths, I've heard," Terran told him. "I'd like to see someone who looms large in the Prophecies of the Ages."

"Don't tell me that you believe in that hodgepodge!" Koushiro exclaimed in a whisper, keeping his voice low.

"I believe that he just did!" Taichi chortled. "You seem ruffled, Koushiro."

"Listen," Yamato interrupted abruptly in his icily offensive way. "We're not here to have any theological discussions, all right? We're here because our future Tribe Caller here wants to see his sister. So can we go into her silly chamber and get everything over with?"

They grudgingly relented to his words and all of them turned to the beautiful doors when they heard someone say, "Yamato! All of you! Are you in the catacombs to see Him, too?"

They all turned around and saw the tall blonde Prince of Hope striding towards them with a startled look on his face.

"Takeru!" Yamato frowned. "What are you doing here as well?" He scowled. "Don't tell me that you are also here to see the sleeping Princess of Light."

"What?" Takeru looked honestly puzzled.

Suddenly, Terran walked resolutely toward a large ornate catacomb door. He gently laid his hand upon it and several large sounds pinged from inside the lock. His crimson eyes seemed to hold a strange inner light. "Tribe Caller," he said in his soft, light voice. "Your sister's heart lays beating within this chamber."

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Mimi, the youngest Empress of Togesantira, looked at the Prince of Love in confusion as the youth opened to door to the chamber. How did he know where the Princess Hikari slept in induced slumber? And how did the Prince unlock the heavily secured door with a simple touch?

She glanced at Terran briefly before turning to look inside the chamber. The funny patterns on the walls continued inside, although they were more heavily encrypted here. She brushed that aside and peered in closer to see the Princess.

The Princess Hikari of Gatoris was a petite young girl who looked around the Prince Takeru's age. Her lashes formed dark crescents on her surprisingly pale skin and her short glossy hair was the same color as Taichi's. 

"Hikari," Taichi murmured and walked to the altar on which she lay on.

Mimi's eyes filled with tears at the look of sadness of his face. Taichi loved his sister so much, even though they had never met. It was amazing. And here she was, but he could not speak to her.

"She's beautiful," Daisuke whispered in awe at the Princess' delicate features. 

"Do not tell me that you are in love." Iori smiled, watching the girl and her brother with respect. As he said this, Mimi's gaze just happened to fall on the face of young Takeru and saw his eyes soft with feeling. Mimi studied him. He seemed surprised and his cheeks pinked slightly as he stared at the girl on the altar.

She looked at everyone else. The sleeping girl and her brother seemed to affect everyone in a way. Jyou's expression was unreadable, but his eyes held pain in stark clarity. She knew that he was thinking about his beloved brother. Ken's look mirrored his, and Mimi recalled that he, too, had lost a brother once. Her eyes filled with tears once more, sad for them both. 

Koushiro was no longer raptly studying the walls but watching the two desert siblings with startling pity. Yamato seemed slightly moved by the silent correspondence of Hikari and Taichi, but his eyes remained as cold as ever. 

Terran was studying the pair intently, his scarlet eyes a mystery. He seemed to be thinking hard. He stepped forward suddenly and turned around to look at Mimi, a strange look in his eyes. "Empress. Your friend…she is here, isn't she?"

Mimi suddenly remembered what she had come here for. She nodded. "I want to look for Miyako."

"Then I will go with you," Terran said. "She is bound to be awake now."

Before Mimi could ask how he could know, Ken announced, "I will go with you as well." He glanced meaningfully at Taichi and his sister. "I believe that they need time to be alone, even if they cannot speak to each other."

"If it's all right with you fellows, I'd rather go back to my rooms now." Koushiro turned toward the door but was stopped by Jyou's quiet statement. "We will all go to search for the Empress' companion, Koushiro."

"Fine, fine," the red haired youth muttered and stalked out the door.

Yamato, of course, said nothing, but his gaze held volumes of amusement.

They all filed out of the room; Taichi didn't seem to notice their exit as he gazed at his sister in sadness. Once they were all assembled outside in the hall down a ways, Yamato suddenly rounded on his little brother.

"What were you doing by the catacombs, Takeru?" he asked dangerously. "Who was this 'Him' you spoke of?"

The younger blonde smiled at his brother. "Him, of course. Is there any other?"

But before Yamato could continue further, Mimi looked around and asked, "How do I find Miyako?"

They all stopped and stared at each other in silence. 

"I'll take a look that way. Maybe there'll be some sign. The Priestess Miyako is of certain importance, after all," Ken said and turned to walk down the corner. He disappeared from sight.

"Does he know where he's going?" Daisuke asked frankly. "If you ask me, all of the hallways in the catacombs look the same to me."

"Ken took an extended trip around the Palace when we arrived," Terran told him softly. "That included the library, and there were many maps of Gatoris to be found there." He smiled fondly. "Young Ken absorbed everything very avidly. He's like that sometimes."

"And what'll we do when we find your friend, Mimi?" Jyou murmured thoughtfully. "Not even the priestesses of Gatoris can wake her up."

Silence once again fell like a shroud around their shoulders.

 "There appears to be a flaw in your plan, Empress," Yamato then stated blandly.

Mimi glared at him. "Thank you for stating the obvious. Now if you'd put aside your mockery for a moment, maybe you'd like to—"

"Mimi!"

The eight of them whirled around in surprise as a lavender-haired girl tackled the startled Empress of Palmera, followed by a white and brown blur. Mimi flailed frantically until she realized that the girl who had hugged Mimi was the High Priestess of Palmera, Miyako Inoue.

"Miyako? Hawkmon?" Mimi whispered in disbelief. Then it clicked. "Miyako! Hawkmon!" she cried. "You're—you're awake!"

Tears were rolling down the younger girl's face as she smiled at her empress. "I'm so glad to be awake...it was horrible."

"What had happened?" Iori asked curiously. "I don't understand anything."

Jyou smiled gently at the boy. "Mimi's friend—the High Priestess, Miyako—was attacked by some strange shadow creature when they were traveling toward Angewotep. It probably cast some spell on her or something—"

"Nonsense!" Koushiro scoffed. "Her attacker was probably some rogue Digimon—nothing more!"

"You are wrong there, sir!" Miyako declared. "It was not just some Digimon!"

"What was it then?" he challenged her. She faltered, much to his triumph.

Terran looked disapprovingly at the gleeful Koushiro. "For shame, Master Koushiro. Do not burden her mind with memories she would rather forget. She has just awoken from a long and nightmare-filled sleep."

"How did you know?" Miyako asked him in amazement.

"Nightmares?" Mimi repeated. "How horrible it must have been for you, Miyako..." she whispered.

The lavender-tressed girl looked sober. She nodded. "It wasn't the experience I'd suggest for the weak-hearted," she stated, a haunted look in her troubled eyes. "I barely survived the physical pain, but the mental attack..."she trailed off. Mimi hugged her again. She continued. "Anyway, I am glad to be back. Thank the Goddess that I am awake once more."

"Indeed," Mimi agreed. "But you wouldn't have been asleep long, anyway. We were going to go look for you ourselves!"

Miyako looked around and for the first time, it seemed, she noticed that there were others in the catacomb hallway with her. She turned pink and her Digimon, the Hawkmon, ventured, "I take it that Miyako and I haven't met these others yet?"

Mimi laughed. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I was too glad that you were back, Miya!" She turned around and pointed to each in turn. "That is Prince Terran of Biyoara, the one who reminded us that we should look for you, and that's Prince Jyou. He's the next Emperor of Gomatelen. Over there is Prince Yamato from Garurunil and his brother, Prince Takeru of Angesdale. This is Koushiro—"

"_Master Koushiro," the redheaded scholar corrected haughtily. "And it is considered rude to point."_

"And the fellow over there with the funny-looking glasses on his head is Daisuke, an Agunatran mechanic," Mimi continued, completely ignoring the Head of the Kabuteric Council. She looked around, frowning slightly. "Where did Ken go again?"

Almost as if on cue, the Prince himself came striding down the same corridor Miyako had emerged from. "I have reason to believe that the High Priestess—" He stopped and noticed Miyako and Hawkmon. He smiled at her and bowed. "Is awake."

"His name is Prince Ken of Wormtii," Mimi told Miyako. "He's our guide through the Palace and the catacombs."

Miyako looked at Ken with some interest. "But you are not from here. How could it be that you know your way so well through the weaving tapestry of hallways of fabled Gatoris?"

He smiled with slight embarrassment. "I am fond of tracking and am very partial to maps and exploration. A predilection I may have attained through my heritage as a Wormtiine in the forests of Biyoara."

Terran laughed and announced in his light voice, "It is time for us to complete the night. Come, friends and colleagues, let us return to the chamber of the Sleeping Princess to greet her."

Everyone stared at the self-effacing Prince, the same questions brimming in their minds.

As expected, it was Koushiro who aired it out. "What are you talking about? How do you know these things, Terran? Are they mere guesses or is there a logical reason for your statements?"

Light suddenly exploded from inside the door they had all left Taichi in, bathing the corridor with a heavenly glow and an ethereal song. Terran turned to all of them, once again reminiscent of an otherworldly fire-haired deity. He had a gentle smile on his face. "We must not dally. He has arrived at last."

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Takeru was the first to follow the mysterious Prince of Love back into the room of Princess Hikari. 

Takeru had been waiting for Him to come. He didn't know how he came to the realization that the feeling inside him was this—he had merely assumed that he wanted time to fly faster because he wanted to return to Angesdale. But he realized that he was waiting.

And at last, the time had come.

He followed Terran into the room, blinking momentarily at the overly luminous and cleansing light emanating from inside. Taichi had stood up in surprise and was staring with awe at the walls and ceiling of the room. The carvings engraved upon them were glowing and moving together.

For some reason, Takeru didn't find any of this surprising—his gaze moved without prompting to rest upon the slight figure of the Princess Hikari of Gatoris. When he had first seen her, he was startled. Certainly, her ethereal beauty was enough to send awe through his veins, but it wasn't that which had surprised him. 

He had seen her before. He knew where he had seen her. As clichéd as it may have been, he had seen her in his dreams. And when he laid eyes on her, he knew what she was to become. It warmed his heart and he knew he would help her become what she could be and protect her forever.

Takeru let his eyes linger on her face for a few more moments before rising to meet the ruby gaze of the Prince Terran. They regarded each other momentarily and Terran nodded, smiling gravely at the young prince.

Takeru understood, at that moment, that Terran had been awaiting Him as well. While he was glad that he wasn't alone in the waiting, he wondered, along with everyone else, how the mysterious Prince knew so many and let on so little.

His wonderings weren't able to get very far, though, for the carvings on the wall had suddenly stopped moving. Takeru's breath halted as well and he held it in suspense as the light suddenly burst forth in a new wave. His eyes were blinded for a moment but the lights all suddenly seemed to be moving the other way.

As the light left, Takeru's eyesight returned to take its place and he saw a figure standing where the wall carvings had congregated. All of the light that had burst forth seemed to be drawn to him, bathing over him in unending waves.

Takeru turned his head—the figure was too bright to look at, reminiscent of the sun—and saw Terran smiling openly at the glowing person. He had gracefully dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

Takeru knew at that moment that this light-swaddled man was the One he had been waiting for and followed Terran's suit, falling to his knee in deep reverence. He bowed his head as well and closed his eyes, feeling like this was the moment that his entire life had been waiting for, had been made for.

He heard the others kneel as well to Him.

The light began to pulsate and swirl like some cloud around Him and separated to form several columns by His sides, each in front of the other Heirs. The columns also seemed to contain figures within, but Takeru's gaze was not riveted upon the new arrivals. He gazed at Him, feeling happier than he had ever been in his life.

"YOU ALL HAVE MY GREETINGS," the figure in the center said in a voice that elevated Takeru's soul to reach the heavens with Him. "RISE."

And as the Heirs rose, the columns of light at His side began to disperse to leave behind other divine-looking figures. At last, the light surrounding Him seemed to implode and there He was.

Elin, the Father God of Light and Maker of All. (A/N: Look At All The Capital Letters!)

Takeru felt his heart soar with happiness and he tore his glance away from Elin to look at the other divinities. In front of him were two who he suddenly realized were the divinities of his own people. Seoras, the God of Farming and Produce, and beside him was His wife, the beautiful Cerelia, Goddess of Harvest. 

(A/N: You know what, if you don't like long descriptions, you'd better skip this part, since I've found it fun to describe warped visions of my equally warped imagination.)

Seoras' short brown hair was unadorned, and His blue eyes sparkled with an amazing depth. His fine features were tanned and dark, as though He had spent a lifetime toiling under the sun, coaxing seedlings to grow and produce. Cerelia's sun-like hair flowed free, scattering golden bursts of light randomly, and a wreath of flowers and fruits circled Her head delicately. Her robes were colorful and vines encircled Her arms as graceful armlets.

He glanced at the others. Standing solemnly at Elin's side was Xylia of the Green Forest, the Goddess of the Biyoarans. She was also known as Kacela, Goddess of the Hunt. Her skin was slightly tinged with a delicate green color and Her beautiful face showed profound serenity Takeru had seen once in the face of Terran. The barefoot Goddess of the Green Forest wore beautiful robes of various shades of emerald over leggings and elaborately designed hunting clothes. There was a circlet of leaves on her crown and a bow hung loosely in Her hand, and Her fiery red hair streamed unbound and glowing, although Her ethereal face still held a heart-stopping dignity. 

The God of the Gomatelenians, Aranav of the Endless Ocean, stood with His powerful arms crossed. His skin was tinged with a deep azure color and His hair was a lighter shade of blue, flowing as though underwater under a crown of shells. He wore a long robe which seemed to rise and ebb, like a wave, and He held an enormous conch shell in His hand, the Horn which could summon all sea creatures to His feet. His eyes were dark blue, so dark as to be black, and Takeru saw, with some surprise, that his fingers were webbed and that his legs weren't legs but a long glowing tail of shining light.

Taiyang, the God of the Sun and Fire, was grinning openly as He stood before Taichi. His skin was a brilliant gold and His dark sable hair was wild and tinged with spontaneous bursts of fire. A sword of pure flame was held in His large hands and His clothes flashed bright and golden. He slightly resembled Elin in some way Takeru couldn't put his finger on. Perhaps it was the Gods' golden eyes which radiated light. Taiyang's radiated a golden light which warmed Takeru's heart noticeably.

Then there was the winged Goddess of Garurunil, Lycoris, the Goddess of the Nighttime Sky and Stars. Golden lights twinkled merrily in Her silver-blue tresses, as though the heavens were contained in Her hair, and Her skin was a beautiful white color. Her dress was a flowing blue and her piercing blue eyes were sky blue, cool and distant, though at the same time, friendly and gentle. Her wings were a graceful protrusion from Her back, colored a dazzling gold.

The studious-looking God, Akili of Great Wisdom, stood with His hand over the Book of All, the same book reverently adored by all Kabuteric people. His dark auburn hair was neatly tied back with a wreath made of wisdom and His dark, dark eyes seemed to be taking everything in clinically. They were beautiful in their darkness, though, and the wisdom He possessed was clearly seen here—Akili had the wisdom of All. He wore black scholarly robes and a golden medallion hung from His neck.

The Goddess Ayanna of the Plants and Flowers was smiling gently at Mimi. Her brown green-flecked eyes conveyed warmth and love for the girl in front of Her. Ayanna's pink hair was circled with flowers. Leaves protruded from Her temples. Surprisingly though, Ayanna's hair ended in leaves and vines protruding flowers. Her body was slim and stemlike, and Her dress was made of undying petals.

At last, standing before Ken was Kozue, God of the Trees and Branches. His eyes were the same violet as the Prince's and His shiny black hair was uncropped. He wore simple brown robes and stood ageless and eternal, like the trees He protected and loved. He had strong arms and a powerful body, His brown skin a beautiful mix of caramel, cocoa and russet. His rangy sleeves ended in a shimmering green light.

So there they were. The Gods and Goddesses of the Eastern Continent. Elin of Light, Seoras of Farming and Cerelia of Harvest, Xylia of the Green Forest or Kacela of the Hunt, Aranav of the Endless Ocean, Taiyang of Sun and Fire, Lycoris of the Heavens, Akili of Great Wisdom, Ayanna of all things Hibiscus, and Kozue of the Trees.

As Takeru gazed at their faces, he realized with a start that most of the Heirs resembled their respective divinities. For instance, Takeru himself had Cerelia's blonde hair and Her husband's light blue eyes. Terran looked almost exactly like Xylia, except for the fact that he was a he—it confused him greatly. 

Jyou had Aranav's blue hair and eyes and Ken had Kozue's eyes and shiny black hair. Koushiro and Akili had the same calculating looks in their eyes and both had black eyes and auburn hair. Taichi shared Taiyang's wild brown hair and spontaneous smile. Mimi and her Divinity shared the same eye color and the same dramatic pink. Of course, Takeru wasn't certain that Mimi's hair was natural. Yamato had Lycoris' pale skin and cool blue eyes, although Lycoris' were friendlier.

Takeru glanced at Hikari, wondering how _she_ resembled Elin and saw immediately. Hikari seemed to glow with a beautiful inner light and wisdom flooded her features, even as she slept under the influence of a powerful poison. He felt his cheeks flushed and turned his eyes back to Elin.

Elin had been watching him, a gentle smile on His lips. Takeru's cheeks reddened a little more. When he glanced back at the Mother and Father Gods of his country, he saw them smiling at him and he shifted uncomfortably, wondering why they were looking at him and smiling that way. His cheeks flamed.

The God of Light bowed His head. "WE ARE COMPLETE. MINE CHILDREN ARE ALL WITH ME, AND THEIR CHILDREN ART WITH THEM, ALONG WITH THE COMPANIONS, AS THEY EVER WILL BE UNTO THE END OF TIME."

Daisuke, Miyako and Iori appeared to be the companions Elin had spoken of, since Elin bowed to them deeply.

Taichi suddenly spoke up bravely to the God. "All are complete, Holy Elin, but one still sleeps in darkness." His eyes were sad and pain throbbed in his strong voice.

"INDEED." The God turned and looked at Hikari. "MINE DAUGHTER LIES CUT OFF FROM THE NOURISHING LIGHT, DRIFTING IN SILENTLY ENDLESS OBLIVION."

"Can you do anything, Father?" Takeru found himself pleading. "Please return her to us."

"RETURN MY DAUGHTER TO WHOM?" Elin stared intently at the blonde boy.

Takeru looked puzzled for a moment, then the correct answer rang in his head. "Return her…return her to me. Please."

Taichi shared Takeru's earlier look of confusion, but Elin spoke: "THERE IS A WAY." He nodded. "BUT THE RULES LAID DOWN BY THE UNIVERSE AT THE WAKING OF TIME DO NOT PERMIT MINE INTERFERENCE. THE GAME HATH BEEN SET, AS IT HAD BEEN EVER DESTINED TO, AND ALL IS UP TO THE CONTESTANTS." He smiled at them. "THE CURE TO RESTORE LIGHT TO MINE PROSTATE DAUGHTER'S LIFE RESTS WITHIN EACH OF THY SOULS. TOGETHER, UNEARTHED AND COMBINED, ALL IS POSSIBLE."

"But what does that mean?" Taichi asked desperately.

Taiyang laughed suddenly and spoke to him. "It means that you have the power to save Hikari." His voice was mellow and reminded Takeru of a gentle candle. "Each one of you can do great things by yourselves, but together…" He laughed again.

"So how do we save her? How do we save my sister?" 

"It's simple, really," Akili spoke up. "But it requires all of you."

Elin nodded. "THERE WILL COME A TIME, PERHAPS NOT TOO FAR AWAY, WHEN ALL OF THE CHILDREN OF MINE HEART ARE IN DANGER. THY PERIL, HOWEVER," He nodded to them, "IS FAR GREATER THAN ALL OTHERS, AND ONLY CANST THOU RELY ON THOSE WHO ART ALSO OF THY SOUL. TRUST IS PERTINENT TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS SALVATION."

"I-I'm sorry, but none of this makes much sense," Mimi admitted.

The girl's Goddess laughed gaily. "That's true, isn't it? Basically, what Father is trying to say is that you must trust each other enough to lay your lives in each of your hands. A great journey is ahead of you and it is fraught with danger. There will be many times when you will have to abandon everything to full faith and reliance on your companions."

"But where are we going?" Yamato demanded. He was frowning.

There was a tinkling sound filling the room. It was Lycoris. "My son," She smiled at him, Her voice light and cool. "You have much to learn. Do not be impatient, for Time will never stop or go back. Not when things are so important now. Time will reveal all and you will know. Warm your heart, my child, for ice invites danger of melting at the inopportune times."

Yamato's eyes were confused but he said nothing more.

"You will be with us, won't you?" Takeru asked. "I mean, you'll go with us to wherever we will be headed?"

His Goddess actually leaned down and hugged him. She smelled of freshly picked flowers and beautiful winds. "We always were with you, my Son. You just knew not where to look."

Koushiro had been eyeing his God with intense calculation. He asked, "Wise Akili, God of my People, I have a great many things to ask you, if you wouldn't mind."

Akili grinned at the youth and shook His head slightly. "Now is not the time, Koushiro, but the full knowledge shall be revealed unto you with the passage of Time."

"Time seems to have a great deal of importance in all this," Ken observed.

Kozue nodded gravely. "Time may mean nothing to trees, but the trees still bend to the will of Time. Such are we."

Jyou was quietly standing unobtrusively in front of his God. "Father," he murmured. "How is my brother?"

Aranav looked at the blue-haired prince, His eyes sad and stormy. "A great loss you have suffered, as have I. He will be content in the future." Jyou's eyes filled with pain.

Xylia had been studying Terran, who seemed to be avoiding looking at her Goddess. The Divinity's eternal face seemed to crease with sadness and the Lady of the Hunt murmured, "I am sorry."

Terran's eyes came up in alarm, and he seemed almost afraid. "Please, do not. It-it doesn't—"

Xylia took a firm hold on Terran's hand. "The Time will come for you as well, my child. The reflection within will take the true form and come to light."

(A/N: I'm sure you know what Sora and her Goddess are talking about.)

Terran's eyes seemed almost sad. "Everything will go wrong from there, holy Goddess. Such is the manner of things."

Takeru didn't understand this odd exchange, why Terran seemed afraid of his beautiful Divinity, why they seemed to…well, know each other, probably. But he didn't have time to ponder these things, because Elin caught His glow again.

"TIME GROWS SHORTER FOR US TO BE HERE, THOUGH IT EXTENDS ITS REACHES FAR BEYOND THIS UNIVERSE AND BEYOND THE NEXT." He smiled benevolently at all of them. "THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU. TAKE IT."

And with a burst of blinding light, all of the deities returned to light and were gone once it had faded, although lingering traces of glittering sparkles drifted around where each had once stood radiating love.

After a short stunned silence, Koushiro muttered, "An amazing event. Truly amazing."

Daisuke grinned. "That doesn't happen to normal people very often, does it?"

"We're not that normal," Terran muttered, striding to where the princess lay sleeping. "Not anymore."

"What are you doing?" Taichi caught up to the red-haired youth. "And what do you mean by that?"

Terran demurred a reply to Taichi's second question, answering the first. "Look at her, Taichi. The Gods have removed their power from her. There is nothing to sustain her from the arms of death now."

Taichi turned to his sister and saw, with growing horror, the truth in the Prince's words. Takeru stepped forward anxiously and saw as well that the girl began to breathe hard. Her head suddenly began to twist and turn, her face in an expression of agony.

"Hikari!" Taichi cried, gripping the edge of the altar. He turned to Terran in panic. "What are we going to do? She can't die! I won't allow it!"

Terran looked strange in the dim light. His hair was sifting to the brush of unfelt wind. "Do you really want her to live? What would you do? You haven't known her for your entire life. She may not be what you expect."

"Of course I want her to live!" Taichi yelled at the other Heir, tears streaming down his face. "I'd do anything! I'd go to the Underworld and bring her back, just to keep her alive. I don't care if she's not what I expect. She's my sister, Terran. I'd give her my life so she could keep hers. And whatever stands in my way—huh?"

The future Tribal Caller stared in puzzlement at his hands as they seemed to glow like fire. Terran smiled broadly, although it was a sad smile. He reached out with a surprisingly dainty hand and took the youth's glowing hand in his, capturing Takeru's hand in his other as well. The fire in Taichi's hands seemed to spread, and Takeru was suddenly filled with a fierce courage and he stared at his dimly glowing hands.

Takeru was too busy staring at his hands and feeling the strong bravery and nerve course through his veins to notice anything else, but when he looked up, he saw other small points of light circling the altar. The Heirs had formed a circle around the sleeping princess.

The light present in the youths' hands began to pulsate and glow violently, but they radiated most blindingly from the Tribal Caller's person, bathing the room in blazing fire. Takeru, however, felt none of the heat that one is expected to begin burning up with when inside a room filled with tall and unstoppable fires.

Terran's delicate hands gripped his tightly as he began to fall to his knees, holding him up. The valor inside him suddenly raised itself and roared. Light burst from within the circle to plunge into the girl's system. 

_'This will heal her,'_ he thought wildly, feeling reckless. _'We're going to save the Princess Hikari...' _

Then it was as if something was torn from him inside and bursting outward towards the girl. Takeru staggered, though he wasn't alone in feeling the powerful tugging. Mimi actually fell to her knees, although her hands were still held tight with Jyou's and Ken's, both of whom were sagging slightly from the effect of the pull. Yamato and Koushiro both looked exhausted, while Terran's face was a pale white.

Only Taichi remained straight and immobile as he stared straight at the stone table where his sister lay.

All of a sudden, there was a sound that was not heard, yet which rung echoing into Takeru's heart and he saw nothing but a blinding sky of orange fire. When it faded, Takeru found himself and all the others excluding Taichi on their knees, though they still held each others' hands.

And then the girl on the altar blinked and sat up.

Takeru could not believe and he stared at the princess in amazement. Taichi gave a cry which might have been a sobof a sob of happiness and moved forward, throwing his arms around his sister. "'Kari," he murmured, whispering a shortened version of the girl's name.

Hikari of Angewotep, Princess of Gatoris, stared at him in confusion. "Are you…are you my brother?"

Taichi could not say anything, looking too choked up in emotion to answer, but his head nodded an affirmation. Hikari broke into a glowing smile which made Takeru's heart ache as she put her arms around her brother. "Tai…" 

Oddly, Takeru heard sounds of sniffling and turned his gaze upon the only other two girls in the room. Mimi and Miyako both were clinging on to little dainty hankies and dabbing them at their sparkling emotional eyes.

Where they got the handkerchiefs, Takeru would never know.

Not only Mimi and Miyako were moved by the desert siblings' reunion. (A/N: Desert siblings. I like the sound of that. *Corlath* :p) Takeru's heart warmed immediately toward both and he noticed that the others as well were affected. Jyou's eyes held a look of pain and longing, but genuine happiness for them as well.

Yamato watched the two at the altar without any trace of customary coolness in his icy eyes. Takeru recognized the look which replaced the distant expression in those blue irises and grinned. 

Even Yamato had warm feelings.

Her warm eyes streamed happy tears. "I knew you would save me." Strangely though, she wasn't looking at her brother. Rather, her gaze had settled upon the startled Prince of Angesdale. He smiled at her shyly and her answering smile was like the sun coming up.

Takeru felt someone's gaze upon him and saw Terran watching the silent exchange with gentle wryness. Terran smiled ingeniously at him and turned away. For some indiscernible reason, Takeru felt his cheeks beginning to burn.

"We're glad you're back." Taichi broke free from his sister's embrace and spun around, as if remembering that there were others in the room. His cheeks were tinged slightly at his emotional breakdown in front of other monarchs. "May I present my sister, the Sleeping Princess of Gatoris, Princess Hikari of Angewotep?" He bowed deep and extended a hand to help the girl down.

Takeru and the others bowed their heads as well. 

"This may be premature," Hikari said to them in a weakly delicate voice, "but I welcome you to the city of Angewotep and into Gatoris, my home." Her eyes were still on Takeru's, though. 

"We are pleased to be here," Jyou answered formally, bowing once more in the ritualistic way the Gomatelenians showed respect for a ruler. "Everyone has been very gracious and hospitable."

"I am glad." Hikari glanced around, her elfin features growing alarmed. "Gatomon? Where is Gatomon?"

Her eyes were once again drawn to his and Takeru's heart stood still. (A/N: *Guffaws* My Heart Stood Still. Yankees, anyone?)

They were a soft, dark golden brown reflected by the flickering torches. The blush on his cheeks grew more evident as he met her gaze clearly. He, however, could not fathom the reason why a great deal of his blood had decided to rush to his face simply because he caught the gaze of a newly-awakened princess again. They stared at each other and he noticed that the Princess of Light had a luminous sort of beauty (A/N: I couldn't help it.)

And again.

"Hikari!"

A soft voice suddenly snapped them out of their trance-like state, the time of which they both had spent memorizing the details of each others' faces, and they both turned a little slowly toward the source of the sound. Takeru tore his gaze from Hikari in time to see a small white cat hurtle through the air towards Hikari.

"Gatomon!" Hikari cried and caught the Digimon in a tight embrace. She sank to the floor, cradling the weeping cat, tears also running down her face.

"Where did the cat come from?" Koushiro wondered.

"Come back here!" a voice suddenly sounded from the hallway, accompanied by the swift and nearly soundless pattering of running feet. "Gatomon!"

Taichi's eyes widened and he cautioned, "We're not supposed to be here."

"I'm glad you finally noticed," Yamato remarked dryly. "Good for you. Your timing's a little off, though."

Taichi looked at the other with angry eyes and Takeru wondered if it was wise for Yamato to provoke Taichi after seeing what the Tribal Caller was capable of. Either it had not occurred to Yamato (which was unlikely) or he did not care.

A girl skidded into the room, her black hair flying. She paused suddenly and stared at them. Takeru recognized her as the niece of the Queen of Angewotep. Elani, he believed.

"We can explain," Taichi began urgently.

Elani frowned at them. "Entry into the Holy Catacombs is forbidden to all but those of the White robes and the Gau-won-ra."

"Gau-won-ra?" Takeru wondered.

Yamato replied, "The stealthy ninjas of the City. Like her."

The Gau-won-rin was sweeping her cold glance through the room and her eyes narrowed suddenly as two long knives with a finely hooked and tapered points appeared into her hands. "What have you done with the Princess Hikari? Where have you put her body?" A feline-shaped Digimon stepped out from behind her, low growls rumbling from its black throat.

"We have done nothing," Koushiro protested. "Princess Hikari is—"

"Princess Hikari is glad to see her Royal Cousins after such a long period of darkness."

It was Hikari.

Elani spun around and saw the girl attempting to rise from the floor holding her Digimon. Takeru hurried forward to help her up without a single forethought. He thought he saw Terran's wry smile at this but decided not to think about it. He stepped aside as soon as she was fully on her feet.

"H-Hikari!" Elani threw her arms around the younger girl, tears hidden in her thick curtain of black hair. Hikari smiled sweetly, closing her eyes and holding her cousin as well.

Takeru, watching her face, began to feel a few gentle tugs in the vicinity of where his heart was. His eyes widened slightly in alarm.

What was this? What was happening to him?

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The entire city of Angewotep was rejoicing. 

People laughed and danced gaily in the streets, celebrating the Princess' waking. Before the Heirs had entered the catacombs, the city of Angewotep had seemed a sparsely populated place, an impression even more enforced by the spacious architecture. But now, people filled the broad avenues with singing and feasting. 

Jyou found himself admiring their devotion to their monarch, finding pleasure in their happiness of Hikari's safety. Penny-pinching bakers and vendors broke out their wares and freely distributed them to the general populace, along with once-misers who now threw gold coins into the streets, exulting in Hikari's awakening.

While all outside the golden walls of Gatoris was noisy though, the Palace was a complete contrast to the boisterous merrymaking of the Gatorians. The halls were quiet and empty, nearly everyone being cloistered the vast council chamber of Gatoris. The people inside the Palace had also joined the celebration, but three straight days of merriment were all they could afford to use for rejoicing Hikari's return, along with a great amount of the Palace's food storage. But three days only, for time pressed on their troubles from the West.

Jyou sat silently next to his mother and General Aes. They had been sitting with the Gomatelenian delegation for some time, listening as each reigning monarch from each Kingdome had made speeches about Princess Hikari's miraculous recovery. None who hadn't been involved in the wakening understood how the Princess emerged without a trace of the deadly poison in her blood.

Come to think of it, those who _had_ been part of it didn't understand it quite well, either.

Jyou still didn't know what exactly went on in that room. He wasn't certain whether he really _had_ seen his God, but the mere presence of the once-Sleeping Princess was proof enough that the Gods had been a part of that night. Jyou was no skeptic like Koushiro of Tentorelle, but he sometimes doubted his reason, seeing as he was frequently visited upon by nightmares which left him insomniac for many days. (A/N: Or nights, rather.)

Nightmares of his dead brother. Nightmares of that horrible discovery down in the water. Nightmares of the future.

As he recounted the events of that night trying to puzzle out the events, his gaze wandered over to Taichi. He had also been in the center of things. How exactly had that orange light exploded into the room? It seemed to have emanated from Taichi. Jyou studied the Heir closely, deciding not to pay attention to the Head Healer's oratory.

It would probably be no different from everyone else's speech, anyway.

Taichi, for once, wasn't sprawled out on his seat and sleeping the speeches away. He seemed more alert than ever and appeared the perfect picture of a Desert Prince. But there was something different about him, Jyou decided. He moved to the edge of his seat, peering over the railing.

Taichi glanced over at him and smiled broadly from where he was seated, not so far from where Jyou himself sat.

Jyou nodded back a greeting and suddenly understood. The future Tribal Caller's eyes used to be simple brown and black, and his skin an unremarkable coffee tint. But after that night, Jyou had known that there was something odd about him.

Taichi's eyes were now a warm golden orange with flecks of brown and his skin was a dark golden tan. Jyou's eyes widened with surprise. It must have been the ginger light that had burst forth into the room when they gathered around the Princess' altar.

Jyou was broken from his inspection by General Aes. "What are you doing on the edge of your seat, Highness? Is the old man's speech that interesting to you?" She grinned mockingly at him.

He started and smiled at her. "I find it as interesting as a growing barnacle, if you'd really like to know."

The girl shrugged. "Not really. Your scholarly ways aren't for the military thumbheads."

"Of course."

Jyou shared an easy camaraderie with the young General Aes, for she was closer to his age than anyone else in the Palace other than his brother. Both of them found their amity quite necessary, for Jyou was often lonely and Aes was frequently demeaned by older officials because of her young age. Her military genius was never overlooked, though, along with her ability to keep her head in times chaos.

"Look, the man's speech is over—"

"Jyou, General Aes," Jyou's father said in a warning tone. "Be silent."

Jyou turned red at the reprieve, as slight as it was. Since Shin had died, an enormous responsibility was placed on Jyou's shoulders. He was going to be the Emperor of Gomatelen, Champion of the Kingdome of Reliability. He shouldn't mess up. But he did, far too many times already.

Jyou sat still, trying to focus all his attention on the next speaker, which was easier than expected, because Taichi's father had stood up. The man had a presence which commanded authority. 

"All of you here have been patient enough to sit through all this talk," the great man began. "Very patient. But know that our welcoming back of my daughter is not the only reason why we congregate to the Holy Palace's deepest chambers. Most of you here have also attended our earlier seminary and understand that war may be coming to our land from across the sea. There is nothing we can do but prepare and hope that we are all merely jumping at shadows—a paranoid man has a better chance of surviving an ambush, unless he has worried himself to an insensibility rivaling the Ancient Hulren!"

Several people laughed at this. Hulren was a paranoid adventurer from the caves who kept from sleep for nineteen days, fearing what he didn't realize was his shadow. It was an old tale but recounted to children with much amusement.

The Tribal Caller continued: "Much is to be done to protect ourselves from this potential siege." Thus Taichi's father began to map out an excellent defense strategy for all the Kingdomes, underscoring the need for arms and reinforcement of buildings.

When he finished, Mimi sounded the horn to be heard and the Queen of Angewotep nodded to her. "You may speak, Empress of Palmera."

Mimi nodded back and stood up, looking regal in her Empress insignia and elaborate hairstyle. However, her eyes betrayed a slight terror of speaking in front of such an audience, and her voice trembled slightly. "I fully agree with the Tribal Caller's plan. It would safeguard our towns from being annihilated by war and it would also ensure the safety of our citizens from a physical attack. In many ways, it is an excellent design, but we all have overlooked the very thing Hulren had lost sleep over."

"His shadow?" someone asked.

Mimi nodded, her headdress tilting slightly. "Hulren was afraid of his own shadow, but what we have are the Shadows which think for themselves. What defense have we against the denizens of the Darkness which come from the West? They are here—what sort of monster had the claws to tear a hole in the hardest and most defensible fortress of Gomatelen? There was the attack on my caravan, traveling through the desert, only a week ago." She looked around timidly. "I think that the war against this darkness is no longer a possibility—it is a certainty."

She hurriedly sat down and the room was filled with murmurs. A horn rang and after a short moment, the Queen nodded to someone Jyou couldn't see. "Rise."

To Jyou's amazement, the Agunatran inventor, Daisuke, stood up. There was immediate silence. It was rather daring of the inventor to raise his voice among the royals, Jyou mused, watching the lad clear his throat. Perhaps he would have something important to say—there was something Daisuke had been working on in Gomatelen that he refused to tell anyone of.

"My name is Daisuke of the Motomiya. I come from the Kingdome of Courage, under the clan of Fladraki." The auburn-haired fellow paused. "I may not have a crown to put on my head, but this inventor may have something of consequence to say to this autumn assembly. The horn was over there by my chair for a reason, I suppose, and I decided that this reason was for me to announce something of great revelation and scientific innovation.

"The lovely Queen of this extraordinary realm has seen fit to allow me the opportunity to either make my announcement, or to make a fool of myself, forever engraved upon your memories as the Agunatran who was three suns short of a desert. I see some of you appear to have expressions of outrage that a lowly inventor such as I has taken the floor."

"I wonder what our desert friend is up to," Aes murmured. "Such eloquence. He is bound to insult someone."

Jyou cracked a wry smile. Daisuke only getting started.

(A/N: I rather like Davis a lot more now. ^_^ So refined.)

"Do not worry," Daisuke continued. "I will not allow those expressions to petrify on your faces, for children need not be frightened of a grotesque face. I will not keep you all long in your seats, though these cushions are the penultimate seats of comfort. I am certain that others of more consequence have important words to say today, but my little announcement may be of some use for this problem of which the assembly speaks of, if luck is on my side. Truth be told, I am quite bursting at the seams to announce this report for I invest a great deal of my pride in this." 

He looked around, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "My august Ladies and refined gentlemen, I bear you the amazing tidings of this inventor who has found the secret to crossing the Great, yet sometimes bothersome Ocean!"

There was an interval here where all simply stared at the inventor in blank incomprehension. Many wondered whether the fellow was right in the head.

The Queen of Angewotep rang her bell, gesturing for Daisuke to sit down. She stood up and looked at everyone in the room. "This has come as a shock, we presume?" She smiled. "Young Daisuke has approached us concerning his invention and we see it as a way to investigate further the mysteries of the other shore."

"Is it true, my Lady?" someone asked.

The woman nodded. "Our land now has an opportunity to explore this land of which we speak of with apprehension and perhaps a treaty may be formulated with whoever lies across the Sea."

The Tribal Caller stood up with his wife. "I have seen the ship for myself. The young lad has sent out several unmanned prototypes already, returning many pleasing results. The safety is quite guaranteed, as the lad himself went out and nearly reached the other side, deciding to return before landing.

"This is the opportunity for us to reap the fruits of exploration—we will go across the sea."  
  


Not the clearest thing I've ever written, but I'd had fun writing it down, so whatever. It's also very dragging—I like dragging. Or have you noticed already? ^_^


End file.
